FSM Information Services (October 10,
2012)
Palikir,
POHNPEI (FSM Office of SBOC): October 3, 2012
The FSM Office of Statistics, Budget &
Economic Management, Overseas Development Assistance and Compact Management
(SBOC) has released the final report on the recently concluded Survey of FSM
Migrants in the US including Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana
Islands (CNMI).
In March 2012, the Office of SBOC obtained
the services of two consultants, Fr. Francis X. Hezel, SJ, and Michael J.
Levin, PhD, to conduct a scientific random sampling of emigrant Micronesian
households in Guam, the CNMI, Hawaii and various mainland United States cities
and regions. The survey was designed to gauge the economic wellbeing of the
emigrant households, the degree to which they depend on US federal and/or local
State government support and their contributions to their local communities as
well as to their home islands in the FSM.
Migrant Population Growth
The report indicates that the number of FSM migrants living in the US and its
territories is 49,840, with 13,558 living in Guam; 4,286 living in CNMI; 7,948
in Hawaii; and 24,048 in the US mainland. Although no attempt was made to
distinguish post-Compact and pre-Compact migrants, the survey found that
16,790, or one-third, were born on US soil.
The total number of those migrating from the FSM,
as measured in the survey, is about 2,100 a year, with migration to the US
mainland accounting for a little over half of the migrant total. There is also
clear evidence of “step-migration,” that is, movement from an early destination
(usually Guam or Hawaii) to another one later (often mainland US). One-third,
or 1,130, of the new FSM population abroad comes from births to FSM migrants
after they have settled in the US and its territories.
The survey results in educational background
of the migrant populations revealed a significant change from what was found in
past surveys. Among the FSM migrants in Hawaii, 5 percent held a bachelor’s
degree, while in the mainland US, 6 percent had a full college degree—both
higher than the 4.3 percent rate among the resident population in the FSM.
Choice
of Destination
While Guam and CNMI have typically been favored migration destinations, the
survey results indicate that the new trend is toward the mainland US, which is
the most affordable choice, as migration rates are showing. More than half of
all FSM migrants in the last five years have elected to move there. The choice
of city or town in the US seems to have been based upon several considerations:
the presence of earlier FSM settlers in the area, the availability of
employment in large plants, and affordable housing and tax rates. Welfare
benefits did not seem to be a factor in the decision to move to the US.
Households and Housing
Contrary to the belief that migrants
usually lived in over-crowded quarters, the survey found that the size of the
migrant household was rather small by comparison with that in the FSM. The
average household size on Guam was 5.4 persons, a drop from 7.2 just 20 years
earlier. In CNMI, the size was slightly smaller at 5.1. In both Hawaii and
mainland US the average size was 4.0 persons. Although in Guam, CNMI and
Hawaii, some FSM families received public assistance for housing, in the
mainland US subsidized housing was not available for migrants.
Homelessness was a considerable problem
on Guam (for 5 percent of the migrant population) and Hawaii (for 12 percent of
migrants), but not in other places. In Guam and Hawaii, the homeless often
sought help in public shelters, while elsewhere, the few instances of
homelessness were self-chosen.
Economic Well-being of Migrant
Households
Many migrants reported that they had
held the same job for years, since job security trumped the hope of increased
salary. Yet, there were a number of individuals who had risen from entry-level
jobs to management positions. Everyone who was not in school or taking care of
the children seemed to be working. The number of earners was high relative to
the number in the household. The number of workers per household increased as
FSM migrants moved further away from their own islands. The yearly income for
the average household also increased as one moved from west to east. The
average household incomes, as recorded in the survey, were: Guam $24,800, CNMI
$25,450, Hawaii $42,150 and US mainland $62,800.
Public Assistance
According to the survey, FSM migrants
who were receiving expensive on-going medical treatment were largely
concentrated in Hawaii, with 389 receiving dialysis there. Few of the FSM
migrants in Guam, CNMI or Hawaii had health insurance since they could not
afford the premiums. On the other hand, 67 percent of the migrant households in
the mainland US had health insurance.
Integration and Community Support
Statistical data show that arrests on
Guam and Hawaii have increased in recent years. But of the 2,700 arrests of FSM
people in Hawaii in 2010, all but 218 were for misdemeanors. In each
destination there are a few FSM people serving long prison sentences, some of
them convicted of domestic abuse. In all, 430 FSM migrants have been deported
from the US and its territories for crimes committed.
The survey results indicate that in
nearly all FSM migration destinations there is a strong support system to help
migrants assimilate into local communities. Churches played a key role as an
introduction to the broader community as well as a key element in the safety
net that provided for migrant families in hard times.
Detailed results of the survey have been
posted on the FSM Office of SBOC website (www.sboc.fm). For further
information on the survey, please contact the Division of Compact Management at
(691) 320-6260 or email slowe@sboc.fm.
