Senators Duckworth, Hirono slam Trump's nominee for Defense Secretary

Sen. Tammy Duckworth and Army veteran questioned Pete Hegseth's qualifications.

United States Senator Tammy Duckworth, D-Illinois, practically jumped out of her seat and shouted, "You are not qualified," at Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for Secretary of State.

Duckworth's statement concluded her fiery rilling of Hegseth who is being questioned by the US Senate Armed Services Committee Tuesday. She was joined by Sen. Mazie Herono, D-HI, in raising questions about Hegseth's qualifications, previous statements and behavior.

Combat veteran Duckworth — who served 23 years in the Reserve Forces—slammed Hegseth on his utter lack of experience and qualifications to lead the Department of Defense at his confirmation hearing.

At the hearing, Duckworth demonstrated some of the areas where Hegseth lacks the experience or knowledge that a serious Defense Secretary nominee should have, grilling him on basic questions that he failed to answer: 

• She asked him if he ever led an audit. He would not confirm. 

• She asked him to describe at least one of the main international security agreements a Secretary of Defense is responsible for leading. He could not name any. 

• She asked him to name at least one nation that is a part of ASEAN, an organization with several member states who have mutual defense treaties, alliances or enhanced defense cooperation agreements with the U.S. None of the three countries he named were correct.

Born in Bangkok, Thailand and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, Duckworth was educated at the University of Hawaii at Manoa and George Washington University in Washington, D.C. A combat veteran of the Iraq War, she served as a US Army helicopter pilot.

While serving a tour in Iraq, Duckworth's helicopter was shot down where she was severely injured resulting in the loss of legs.

FYI: Watch the questioning by Senators Tammy Duckworth and Mazie Hirono.

The other Asian American senator on the committee also made Hegeth squirm. “I have read multiple reports of your regularly being drunk at work, including by people who worked with you at Fox News,” asked Senato rHirono. “Do you know that being drunk at work is prohibited for service members under the UCMJ (Uniform Code of Military Justice)?”

“Senator, those are multiple false reports peddled by NBC News—,” said Hegseth.

“I’m not hearing the answer to my question,” Hirono said while Hegseth tried to speak over her.

“You recently promised some of my Republican colleagues that you stopped drinking, and won’t drink if confirmed, correct?” she continued. Hegseth confirmed it to be “absolutely” true.

“Will you resign as secretary of defense if you drink on the job, which is a 24/7 position?” Hirono persisted in her questioning.

Hegseth started to answer the question indirectly, prompting Hirono to repeat the question. Hegseth again deflected. “I’m not hearing an answer to my question, so I will move on,” Hirono said again calmly.

Hegseth has been accused by former co-workers of being drunk on the job, even reportedly once yelling, “Kill all Muslims” while allegedly drunk, reports Yahoo.

Hirono began questioning Hegseth about using police and the military against protesters.

“In 2020, then-President Trump directed former Secretary of Defense Mark Esper to shoot protesters in the legs in downtown D.C., an order Secretary Esper refused to comply with. Would you carry out such an order from President Trump?” asked Hirono, referring to the Black Lives Matter protests.

“I was in the National Guard unit that was in Lafayette Square during those events—”

Hirono interrupted, asking her question again: “Would you carry out an order to shoot protesters in the legs, as directed to Secretary Esper?” Hegseth continued talking while she talked.

“You know what, that sounds to me that you will comply with such an order; you will shoot protesters in the leg,” Hirono replied. “Moving on!”

Sen. Mazie Hirono brought up Pete Hegseth's past allegations of 

Hegseth, 44, was largely unknown in when Trump tapped him for the top Pentagon job.

A former co-host of Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends Weekend,” he had been a contributor with the network since 2014 and apparently caught the eye of the president-elect, who is an avid consumer of television and the news channel, in particular.

Hegseth attended Princeton University and served in the Army National Guard from 2002 to 2021, deploying to Iraq in 2005 and Afghanistan in 2011 and earning two Bronze Stars. Reaching the rank of major, he lacks senior military and national security experience.

Several women have come forth and claim that he He paid off a woman who alleged that Hegseth at sexually assaulted her at a Republican function in California in 2017.

Prior to his nomination, he criticizd the militry efforts to diversify its ranks and he said that women should not be in combat but he has softened his stance in the months before the Senate hearing.

Republican nominees can say anyting in order to be donfirmed. Like the Supreme Court judicial confirmation hearings, where the then-nominees said they respect previous SCOTUS decisions, once confirmed the justices voted to overturn Roe v. Wade and weakened the Voting Rights act.

Following the GOP strategy, Hegseth has simply denied those accusations, claiming that they are part of a "coordinated smear campaign."

Despite the Democrats' grilling of Hegseth's qualifications and questionable past, he is likely to get the committee's confirmation as the Republican majority walks in lock-step to Trump's orders. Following the expected confirmation, the question will go before the full Senate where Republicans hold a slim edge 51-49.

Influential and rich Republicans threaten to run opponents against any GOP seantor who votes against  Trump's nominations.

Pointing to a framed copy of the Soldier’s Creed—a copy that hangs over her desk in the Senate and hung above her bed during her recovery at Walter Reed Medical Center after the helicopter she co-piloted was shot down—Duckworth urged Mr. Hegseth to follow this Creed as our servicemembers do every day, placing the mission above personal ambition. 

“Every day, our servicemembers follow the Soldier’s Creed as we ask them to leave their families, walk into enemy fire and be ready for the mission until their very last breath,” said Duckworth. “How can we ask these warriors to train to the absolute highest standard, if we confirm a guy who is asking us to lower the standard to make him Secretary of Defense? The very idea that Pete Hegseth is the person to lead our heroes is an insult to the troops who sacrifice so much for the rest of us.”

"Yes or no, did you lead an audit? Yes, or no?," insisted Duckworth. "What are you afraid of, you can't answer this question? Yes or no did you lead an audit?" Attempting to divert the question, in the end, he could not give a yes or no answer.

Duckworth's question was to question Hegsetg's qualifications to lead the government's largest department. According to Hegseth's bio, he hasf never led an organization with more than about 100 people plus volunteers and does this qualify him to lead a department with three million members and a budget of $850 million.

"You're not qualified, Mr. Hegseth. You're not qualified," Duckworth said.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow me on Threads, on X or at the blog Views From the Edge.

Andy Kim proud to be the first Korean American US senator

United States Senator Andy Kim.

New Jersey's newly sworn-in US Senator Andy Kim today put up a series of posts on X to answer the question: What does it mean to be the first Korean American Senator? He responded: 

"I’ve been asked what it means to be 1st Korean American Senator. On this Korean American day, I want to share a photo of the home where my mom grew up during Korean War. America opened its doors and helped her become a nurse. Last week she stood with me as I was sworn in.

:And it isn’t just my mom’s story. Over 120 yrs since the first Koreans came to America. Now there are 2 million Korean Americans. 24 million Asian Americans. Asian Americans are not monolithic. 

Andy Kim's mother was raised in the building behind her.

"I of course do not speak for all, nor is my story and experience reflective of all."

In fact I’ve struggled with my identity over my life. At times I resisted the label Korean/Asian American and snapped back with 'I’m just American.'  "I never would have imagined that Korean culture would become hugely popular between BTS, Squid Game, Korean BBQ, K-dramas etc.

"We now see Korean Americans leading major businesses, as leading actors, as innovators and media personalities. And it’s not just about leadership and accomplishments. It’s about the families built and the communities strengthened. Those contributing in different ways.

"When I first ran for Congress I didn’t initially realize there were no Korean Americans in federal office. It was not a barrier I set out to break.  "But when someone told me there is no way I can win a Congressional District that is 85% white and less than 3% Asian, I felt so insulted and disrespected.

"Last year someone told me I’m the wrong kind of minority to win statewide. Now I’m the 1st Asian American Senator from entire east coast. I can appeal not just to people who look like me. My story isn’t just a Korean American/ Asian American story; it’s an American story.

"I’m proud to break new ground but honestly I look forward to a time when I’m no longer unique. That’s what I want for my two boys. For them to grow up in an America where no one blinks twice about any aspirations they have. No one casts doubts.

"Sadly some still question my loyalty or accuse me of allegiance/favor towards Asian nations. I don’t know that will ever fully go away. I’ve learned to have confidence and pride in my heritage and show that my Korean identity does not take away from my love of being American.

"And now we have the most number of AAPI members of Congress ever and the AAPI community is a vital demographic in swing states like Georgia/Nevada.  "I believe the next decade will be the most dynamic decade for Korean/ Asian Americans in politics. And I’m honored to be a part of it.

A sign in South Korea proudly proclaims its ties to Sen. Andy Kim.

"My mom just sent me this photo from her childhood hometown in South Korea of a banner that says essentially, “Home of Senator Andy Kim’s mom.” My mom left that town 50 yrs ago to build a family in America. What an amazing 50 yrs it’s been. God bless. Happy Korean American Day! END"

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow me on Threads, on X or at the blog Views From the Edge.

Frontline: 'Could Maui's deadly 2023 fire have been averted?

In August 2023, the deadliest US wildfire in more than a century reduced much of the historic town of Lahaina to ashes, killing 115 people and displacing thousands more. Sparked by a downed power line, the fire and a chaotic emergency response unfolded as Hurricane Dora brought high winds to Maui, Hawai‘i’s second-largest island.

Shedding light on a tragedy decades in the making, Frontline, the award-winning news program, asks the quesiton: Could the fire’s catastrophic toll have been prevented?

Coming in the wake of a state investigation that found a broad cascade of failures, Maui’s Deadly Firestorm, a new Frontline documentary, investigates critical missteps that day — and in the years prior, as the county and state were repeatedly advised to invest more money in prevention and preparedness, and as experts and residents raised concerns.

“I yelled and screamed all these years, but nobody was listening,” says Ke‘eaumoku Kapu, a Lahaina community leader who warned Maui officials in 2018 that the county was unprepared for a major wildfire. “Now that this has happened, I blame myself.”

FYI:  “Maui’s Deadly Firestorm” is available to stream on pbs.org/frontline, YouTube and in the PBS app

Written, produced and directed by Xinyan Yu, a filmmaker who is part of Frontline’s Investigative Journalist Equity Initiative, and produced by Christina Avalos, the documentary draws on harrowing footage filmed by those in the path of the inferno and firsthand accounts from survivors, victims’ families and friends, first responders, and local and state authorities.

“For sure I thought that we're gonna burn in there, because there is no way out and we cannot see anything — all smoke and fire around us,” says survivor Lily Nguyen, who was trapped in traffic in her car for hours as the fire and downed electric poles and lines blocked the town’s main evacuation routes.

Through these accounts as well as a detailed analysis of over 1,000 911 calls and public records across multiple government agencies, Maui’s deadly firestorm provides a harrowing, moment-by-moment reconstruction of the fire and its aftermath. It examines how changes to the climate and landscape have made Maui increasingly vulnerable to fires and probes the factors that made this fire such a deadly event.

The final total of 115 deathes, makes the Maui wildfire the deadliest in the United States since 1918, when 453 people died in Minnesota and Wisconsin.

RELATED: Filipinos made up about 40% of Lahaina's population but they say their needs are not being met.

The documentary also investigates missed opportunities and controversial decisions before and during the response — including a choice not to activate emergency sirens — and raises difficult questions about who and what are to blame for the fire’s heavy toll.

“There are so many challenges in a fire like this,” Hawai‘i Governor Josh Green tells Frontline. “And it was the speed and ferocity of the fire that ultimately took Lahaina. But that doesn’t mean they couldn’t have done better. We owe answers to everyone. And we also owe it to ourselves to be ready for the next tragedy or the next challenge.”

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow me on Threads, on X or at the blog Views From the Edge.

Report: Asian Americans like government work though advancement hindered

Vice President Kamala Harris, center front, met with AANHPI White House staff
during a recent AANHPI Heritage Month celebration.

Asian Americans apparently enjoy working for the Federal government but when they try to move into management jobs, they find themselves running into the stereotype of Asians as poor leaders.

A new report released yesterday (Jan. 7) by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) finds that in fiscal year 2020 Asian Americans were one of the largest growing populations in the United States. Asian American workers were employed in the federal sector at a rate that exceeded their representation in the civilian labor force (CLF).

Asian Americans make up 7.1% of the federal workforce, even though they only make up 5.7% of the civilian workforce, according to the report from the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) titled "Asian Americans in the Federal Sector."

However, despite making up 7.1 of the federal workforce, Asians in leadership roles Asian men make up. only 3.3% of leaders. Asian women are even worse, making up 2.3% of the female leaders.

“AA and NHPI participation across all levels of government allows our communities to have a seat at the table, and we are stronger when the federal workforce reflects the diversity of America,” said Krystal Ka‘ai, Executive Director of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders.

In ensuring opportunities for AANHPI federal employees, the Biden administration has held severall conferences encouraging AANHPI federal workers to seek advancement in government service.

The EEOC report summarizes federal workforce data for Asian Americans in FY 2020. The analysis compared equal employment opportunity (EEO) statistics to the overall federal workforce and the national CLF. 

Other findings include:

• Asian American men accounted for 3.8% of the federal workforce in FY 2020, while Asian American women accounted for 3.2%.

• Asian Americans were relatively underrepresented among leadership roles compared to their representation in the federal workforce. Asian American men accounted for 3.3% of Federal leaders and Asian American women for 2.3%.

• Asian American men (3.1%) and women (2.5%) voluntarily separated—due to either retirement or resignation—from federal agencies at lower rates than their representation in the federal workforce.

• Asian American men (2.5%) and women (1.9%) involuntarily separated—due to either downsizing or removal from service—from federal service at lower rates than their representation in the federal sector.

• Asian Americans earned a median annual salary of $107,221—about 19% more than the governmentwide median of $90,097.

• Three percent of federal sector EEO complaints alleged Asian national origin as a basis.

White workers still dominate the federal workfoce. Sixty percent of the federal workforce identified as white compared to 76% in the private sector. Nearly 19% of the federal workforce identified as Black and 10% identified as Hispanic compared to 13% and 19% of the US labor force, respectively. 

This EEOC report continues a series of recently published profiles of Hispanic women and Latinas, American Indian and Alaska Native women, and African American women in the Federal sector The EEOC’s Office of Federal Operations will continue to profile other populations in future reports. The reports are part of the Biden administration's to diversify the federal workforce and to remove any racial bias in hiring and advancement.

The EEOC prevents and remedies unlawful employment discrimination and advances equal opportunity for all. More information is available at www.eeoc.gov. Stay connected with the latest EEOC news by subscribing to our email updates.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow me on Threads, on X or at the blog Views From the Edge.

President honors three Asian American heroes

 Mitsuye Endo Tsutsumi's challenge to incarceration of Japanese Americans went all the way to the US Supreme Court where she won her case.

As his administration winds down, President Biden took time to honor three Asian American heroes.

On January 2, 2025 the President awarded the highest civilian honor, the Medal of Freedom to Mitsuye Endo Tsutsumi for her role in challenging the incarceration of 120,000 Japanese Amerians during World War II.

The following day, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. awarded the Medal of Honor to seven US Army soldiers, two of whom were Asian Americans: Private First Class Wataru Nakamura (posthumous) and Private Bruno R. Orig (posthumous),

Born in Sacramento, California, Endo challenged the injustice and reached the Supreme Court. Her resolve allowed thousands of Japanese Americans to return home and rebuild their lives, reminding us that we are a Nation that stands for freedom for all.

Endo is one of four and the only woman who challenged the constitutionality of the Japanese American incarceration and the only one to win her case. The other challengers were Gordon Hirabayashi, Min Yasui, and Fred Korematsu, whose cases were not successful. 

Though her case was the only successful one, Endo’s legacy is less known than the other thre. While the three men have been awarded the Presidential Medals of Freedom, the highest honor bestowed on American civilians. Endo was overlooked.

“I think that it relates in two parts: the fact that she’s a woman [and] I think it relates in part to the fact that her case hasn’t been elevated,” said Kathryn Bannai, 73, a member of Endo’s Presidential Medal of Freedom committee, speaking to NBC News in May 2024. 

The Presidential Citizens Medal, the second highest honor awarded to civilians, is awarded to US citizenswho have performed exemplary deeds of service for their country or their fellow citizens. President Biden believes these Americans are bonded by their common decency and commitment to serving others. The country is better because of their dedication and sacrifice.

The Medal of Honor is the highest recognition of valor for those in the military.

The others receiving Medals of Honor wereCorporal Fred B. McGee (posthumous), Private First Class Charles R. Johnson (posthumous), retired General Richard E. Cavazos (posthumous), Captain Hugh R. Nelson, Jr. (posthumous), and Specialist Fourth Class Kenneth J. David.   

All of the January honorees were from minority groups. In August 2021, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin directed secretaries of the military branches to review decorations given to Black and Native American veterans to determine whether their actions “warrant the award of the Medal of Honor,” the military’s highest award for valor.

Of the more than 3,500 service members who have been awarded the Medal of Honor, only 94 African Americans, 59 Hispanic and 35 Asian or Pacific Islanders have received the decoration, according to the Congressional Medal of Honor Society. 

Following are the battlefield incidents that earned the Medal of Honor for the Asian Anerucans:

Wataru Nakamura 

Pfc. Nakamura was a 20-year-old Japanese-American when the U.S. entered World War II and then-President Franklin Roosevelt ordered citizens of Japanese descent into internment camps. Nakamura and his family were sent to a camp in Rowher, Ark.

Wataru Nakmura

After Japanese American men were allowed to enlist, he signed up for the Army, according to his nephew Gary Takashima. He was assigned to the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, a Japanese-American unit that fought in Italy and became one of the most decorated American units of the war. 

After World War II, Nakamura joined the Army Reserve and was called up when the Korean War began. On May 18, 1951, Nakamura, serving as a lieutenant in the 2nd Infantry Division, volunteered to repair a communications line between his platoon and the command post. 

As he made his way along the line, he came under fire from an enemy unit threatening to breach the company defense lines. Nakamura rushed the enemy troops with a fixed bayonet and singlehandedly destroyed a hostile machine gun position, driving the enemy from several bunkers that they had captured. 

When his ammunition ran low, he withdrew under intense enemy fire until he met an ammunition party climbing the hill. With more ammunition, Nakamura returned to the fight, killing three enemy soldiers in one bunker before charging another. 

Continuing to press the attack, he was mortally wounded by an enemy grenade. Nakamura was 29. He received the Distinguished Service Cross for his actions and sacrifice. 

“He lost his life, volunteering for an assignment, helping out his unit,” Takashima said. “My uncle had a commitment to his service and his fellow soldiers. It impressed one of his buddies, Richard Edlebeck. When Richard learned years later his friend didn’t receive the Medal of Honor, he spent the rest of his life working on a packet.” Takashima said his uncle would have been honored to receive the award but “felt all of this was too much for doing what he was supposed to do.” 

Bruno Orig 

Pvt. Orig was born in Hawaii to parents from the Philippines. He was 11 years old when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941, plunging the U.S. into World War II. Following the example of his father and stepfather, he enlisted in the Army in 1950 less than two months after the North Koreans attacked the South, igniting the Korean War. 

Bruno Orig

On Feb. 15, 1951, while assigned to G Company, 2nd Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, Orig was returning from a wire-laying mission near Chipyong-ni, Korea, when he saw several of his comrades had been wounded during an attack. Disregarding his own safety, Orig rushed to them and began administering first aid under fire. 

With the help of several comrades from the company command post, Orig began removing the wounded to safety. A

fter returning to help more of the wounded, Orig volunteered to man a machine gun because most of the crew had been wounded. He provided covering fire so a platoon of allies could escape and continued firing even as his company’s positions were overrun. 

After the battle was over and the area secured, Orig was found dead beside his weapon. In front of his position lay the bodies of several enemy soldiers. He was 20 years old. 

For his sacrifice, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross.

 “He came upon a firefight, rescued fellow soldiers, took a machine gun position, engaged with the enemy and ultimately died in action,” his nephew Charles “Chuck” Allen III said. “But [he] saved a platoon and doing that is now being recognized.” 

“I was deeply honored to join the President and the family of Private Orig in this long-deserved and long-overdue recognition of his truly extraordinary heroism," said Rep. Ed Case, D-Hawaii. "That this true son of Hawai‘i gave the ultimate measure of devotion to save the lives of his comrades, and that our country has the capacity to right wrongs of omission decades later, represents the very best of our military and of our nation.”

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow me on Threads, on X or at the blog Views From the Edge.

'Shogun' is a big winner at the Golden Globes

Actor Cosmo Jarvis, far left, joins Shogun's Golden Glob winners, Anna Sawai,
Hiroyuki Sanad and Tadanobu Asono.

With the 2025 Golden Globes awards, Asian and Asian American actors and productions continue their unprecedented success in award shows during the last four years.

Shogun won all four categories it was nominated in at the Golden GLobes Awards held Sunday, including Best Drama Series for Television.

The series' three actors nominated also won the coveted trophy for a drama series in the best Male Actor ( Hiroyuki Sanad), Best Female Actor ( Anna Sawai) and Best Supporting Actor (Tadanobu Asono).

The period drama, based on the James Clavell novel, made history as the first non-English series to win the Golden Globe in te television drama category. The Shogun series, taking place in medieval Japan, was almost all in Japanese and used a mixed cast and crew from Japan and North America.

FYI: The full list of Golden Globe winners

The series was so successful, creatively and received so well by viewers that there are plans to extend the storyline beyond the original novel into a second and third season.

Jon M. Chu, director of the film production Wicked, widened the AAPI presence with his passionate comments when his musical moton picture won a Golden Globe for Cinematic and Box Office Achievement.

“My parents came to this country and loved Wizard of Oz. They'd tell us about the yellow brick road and the place over the rainbow, where all dreams come true if you dare to dream it," said Chu.=, who grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area. "So I'm up here looking at you, living the dream and looking at this beautiful, beautiful cast. It's more beautiful than I ever thought it could be.”

 He continued: "So when we discover that maybe the world isn't exactly the way we thought it was, and maybe [we all have] a little bit of Elphaba inside of us ... that maybe we have that courage and that strength to not give up but to rise up. Take the road off the yellow brick road and maybe discover we can fly.”

Ali Wong, won the Golden Globe for the best stand-up comedy performance in "Ali Wong: A Single Lady" that can be sreamed on Netflix. Wong, a native San Francisco resident gave thanks to the Bay Area comedy clubs for giving her stage time to hone her craft. 

“I come from San Francisco and that’s where I started doing stand-up, and I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for all the stage time that I got there, and all the practice I got to become a stand-up comedian,” said Wong, a Golden Globe winner in 2024 for her performance in Beef.

Ater complaints about the lack of diversity arose, the Hollywood Foreign Press  Association, found to have an overwhelmingly white membership,  attempted to bring more diversity broadening their membership to include more jornalists of color.

Productions such as South Korea's Parasite and Squid Games, the American film Everything, Everywhere All At Once, Farewell and Minari and the TV dark comedy Beef, have brought more attention to Asian and Asian American talent and productions. 

The Golden Globes is owned by Dick Clark Productions who bought the rights from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association in 2023. Members of the HFPA still vote on the nominated films and television productions.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow me on Threads, on X or at the blog Views From the Edge.

CORRECTION: In earlier versions of this post, the Hollywood Foreighn Press Association was misidentified.

Maui Filipinos hope $2 billion in federal disaster recovery funding will bring some relief

A sign under a Philippine flag expresses the mood of Maui's Filipino residents because
of the urgent need for affordable housing.

Hopefully, some of the $2 billion in federal assistance recently granted to Maui will address some of the needs of the island's Fiipinos, many of whom remain homeless after the 2023 wildfire that devastated western Maui.

Maui Mayor Richard Bissen announced Dec. 21 that the County of Maui will receive about $2 billion in federal assistance days after a report citing the needs of the island's Filipinos, who make up the majority of the Maui's workers, mostly serving the tourist industry.

Even before the fire that decimated Lahaina's historic downtown and the majority of the housing, Maui's workers' affordable housing was in short supply. After the fire, housing is even more scarce. Some of the workers are still living in the hotels' usually packed by tourists. Their hotel rooms are financed by FEMA up until February 2025 when the temporary residents are supposed to start paying out of pocket. Most of those workers are of Filipino descent, eothere recent immigrants or descendants of the plantatioin workers brought in in the early 20th Century and work in the tourism industry.

Initially, most of the mainstream media from the mainland focused on the plight of the Native Hawaiian community, which made up 10% of Lahaina's population. Overlooked were the Filipinos, who make up 40% of the seaside town.

“The Filipinos got somewhat marginalized in terms of advocacy,” saud Jonathan Okamura, a professor emeritus of ethnic studies at the University of Hawaii Manoa, and who grew up on Mau. “It’s kind of like what goes on in Hawaii generally with the sovereignty movement. Native Hawaiians get their ideas expressed and appreciated by non-Hawaiians in ways that Filipinos are less able to do, especially the immigrants.”

About $1.6 billion of the federal funds will be part of Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funding for housing on Maui and an estimated $480 million more will go towards economic development, small business loans and water infrastructure, among other needs.

The US Congress on Dec. 20 and 21 voted to allocate $1.6 billion in disaster relief through the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to support Maui’s efforts to rebuild homes. 

Another $480 million will go to Maui for disaster recovery. Strict federal guidelines govern how the funds must be used, including requirements for comprehensive financial reporting by the County to the federal government.

In response to the news, Bissen saaid:

“We are profoundly grateful for this vital disaster relief, which will allow us to begin the critical work of rebuilding and fortifying our community after the worst wildfires this nation has seen in a century,” Bissen said. “This CDBG-DR funding will not only help our most vulnerable wildfire survivors, but also enable us to invest in projects that will make Maui County more resilient and better prepared for future challenges.”

Even though Filipinos are the largest ethnic group in Maui, after the disastrous 2023 fire, many believe that  their voices and needs were not being addressed. This belief led to the formation of Tagawa, the organization behind the report, Comprehensive Report on the Needs and Recovery of Filipino Survivors of the Lahaina Fires, the first research report to specifically focus on Filipino survivors of the 2023 Lahaina fires was made public Dec. 16.

Today, about one-fourth of Hawaii’s 1.4 million people are of Filipino descent, according to the 2020 US Census. However on Maui ithey account for the second-largest ethnic group on Maui, with nearly 48,000 island residents tracing their roots to the Philippines, 5,000 of them in Lahaina, which was about 40% of the town's population before thte fire. 

"We are essentially seen and treated as a labor source, and we are in the bottom of the social hierarchy in Hawaiʻi — there's also research about health disparities. So the condition of Filipinos is not the best — and you throw in a disaster on top of that. So that disaster exacerbates the conditions of Filipinos," Nadine Ortega, Tagnawa executive director, told Hawaii Public Radio. 

As , Maui, specifically West Maui which includes the historic town of Lahaina, recovers from the disastrous 2023 wildfire that killed 115 people, many residents felt that the voices and needs of Filipino residents were not being addressed.

Many longtime Lahaina residents, including Native Hawaiians, told the AAssociated Press that in the rebuilding of Lahaina, the new  housing for Filipinos and other low-income long-time residents  they worry that whatever is  built will be too expensive for  Filipinos and other ethnic groups who made lived there.

Other concerns are cultura in naturel. For instance, about 68% of the Filipino households are multigenerational, but FEMA rules apply assistance only to "immediate" family members, which does not meet the qualifications for aid from FEMA and the Red Cross. As a result, families are broken up, causing trauma.

“What was once this big multigenerational household is now just separate smaller units and we lost the sense of community and help that our multigenerational house houses provided,” said Krizhna Bayuda, one of the people surveyed.

Entire neighborhoods were destroyed in the Lahaina fires.

‍Some of the otheer highlights of the Tagnawa report:

•  English, Ilokano, and Tagalog speaking respondents reported different recovery needs and experiences. English-speaking Filipinos indicated the greatest access to basic needs and therefore prioritized housing issues higher than Ilokano and Tagalog respondents. Tagalog respondents showed the least access to basic necessities such as food, water, and household goods. Ilokano and English respondents rated housing as a higher priority than Tagalog respondents. 
• Financial aid is consistently marked as a top need for Filipino survivors; in the initial needs assessment, 94% of respondents indicated they needed financial aid. One year later, when asked how they could be best supported in the recovery process, aside from housing, 38% of respondents expressed the need for financial aid. 
• Ilokano and Tagalog-speaking immigrants faced language barriers and unfamiliarity with local and state government systems, exacerbating their need for translation services and advocacy. 

• Families who were living in multigenerational households that were separated due to FEMA and Red Cross regulations are now struggling with the declining physical health of elders. This separation has also affected childcare with families having to make additional accommodations such as traveling across the island to drop off child/ren and elderly relatives, or they have had to stop working to take on caregiving duties. 
• Despite only approximately 6% of respondents of the 1-year surveys expressing the specific need for mental health services, 33% of responses mentioned stress and traumarelated symptoms (anxiety, nightmares, insomnia, hypervigilance and intrusive memories) raising concerns for Filipino mental health with particular concern for children’s mental health. 
• Youth Filipino mental health distress is a serious issue. 50% of responses indicated that school changes left Filipino children feeling isolated and emotionally distressed with some children experiencing bullying in their new schools. 
• Gender-based violence is often underreported, gender-based violence data requires unique methodology to capture, and this phase of the research did not specifically focus on this sensitive data, however some respondents of the Tagnawa needs assessment survey did report unsafe housing and experiences of sexual or physical violence. These findings, while limited in scope, are deeply concerning and have prompted Tagnawa to launch a gender-focused comprehensive study as the next phase of our work. 
• English language proficiency and U.S. citizenship are disaster recovery tools that many Lahaina residents did not possess. To survive, Filipino immigrants activated their indigenous values and practices of interdependency, mutual aid, generosity, expanded definitions of family and kinship, and subsistence agriculture via backyard farming.
• Filipinos and Filipino immigrants care about environmental issues and Native Hawaiian priorities, not just jobs. Job creation and Lahaina lands remaining in Lahaina hands (as opposed to outside developers and owners) were tied as the top mid- to long-term issues named by Filipino respondents. A significant number of respondents also support water as a public trust and wetlands restoration. 
• In direct contradiction to Governor Green’s divisive statement on Filipinos pushing for the October 2023 reopening of West Maui tourism, 47% of Filipino fire survivors opposed the reopening of West Maui to tourism and 22% had mixed or torn feelings, expressing conditional support or reservations. Only 31% indicated support for the reopening outright, however often citing economic need.

The flag of the Philipppines flies over a makeshihft memorial to the Maui fire victims.

The mayor thanks Hawai‘i US Senator Brian Schatz for his relentless efforts in securing this funding, as well as all Hawai‘i’s Congressional leaders for their continued advocacy on behalf of Maui’s wildfire survivors.

“This funding is a lifeline for our community, and I am deeply grateful to Senator (Brian) Schatz and all of our Congressional leaders for their unwavering support,”  Bissen added.

FYI: ;Maui residents and local stakeholders are encouraged to stay informed about ongoing recovery programs and opportunities for public engagement. For more details, please visit www.mauirecovers.org/cdbgdr.

In addition to the estimated $1.6 billion in CDBG-DR funding for housing, about $480 million more will be heading to Maui, including:

• $350 million to build critical water infrastructure
• $33 million to repair roads
• At least $22 million to support economic recovery, agriculture, and conservation effort
• $19 million for child care
• At least $12 million to provide loans to impacted small businesses

To ensure the effective management of these federal funds, the County of Maui, with approval from the Maui County Council, has established a CDBG-DR Program Office within the Department of Management’s Office of Recovery. The County has spent months preparing an action plan and readiness protocols to ensure efficient roll-out and use of the funding.

“We are fully committed to working in close collaboration with state, federal and local partners in this comprehensive recovery effort,” said John Smith, incoming Administrator of the County Office of Recovery. “Together, we will build a stronger, more resilient Maui for the benefit of wildfire survivors and all residents of Maui County.”

“Considering the context that Lahaina is 40% Filipino," said Tagnawa director Ortega to Hawaii News Now, "there needs to be a greater consideration of the Filipino experience after the fire.” 

“If it wasn’t for the Filipinos having two or three jobs, a lot of the businesses here, including the hotels, would have a hard time operating,” said Rick Nava, a community advocate and Filipino immigrant who lost his own home in the fire.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow me on Threads, on X or at the blog Views From the Edge.