Uneven plane

The Senate Bill S. 744 section 2109 to allow 13,000 CW to apply for U.S. citizenship is a threat to our social and economic wellbeing at present.

1. At present many indigenous Chamorro and Carolinian have less skills training to apply for a job.

2. The Workforce Investment Agency does not have adequate resources and manpower to provide training to many jobless high school graduates and unemployed individuals in CNMI.

3. Employers are struggling to make ends meet to hire none qualified workers to be able to meet the demands for their customers.

4. Many Chamorro, Carolinian, and IR families will be jobless if this happens. Because employers will go for skilled workers, which means more immigrant workers.

5. And Chamorros and Carolinians will be minority in their own land.

6. Yes in the years to come we will eventually be gone, but at least give us the opportunity to live and rule our land.

7. Those longtime CW with families will also be part of the minority group. Many of these CWs came in as waitresses, domestic helpers, farmers, and laborers for working parents of Chamorros and Carolinians. Only a few of these workers are college graduates of accredited colleges such as nurses and technicians.

8. Many of us are families and friends of this CWs, whom now we have to offend to defend what, is rightfully ours.

9. This Senate bill opens the gate to pathway of U.S. citizen market. And CNMI is very vulnerable to be invaded by those immigrants.

9. When U.S. Immigration takes over, our economy was dropping so fast, that we lost many investors.

10. Many locals had to quit their jobs because they cannot afford to hire a nanny or a house worker.

11. Many CWs with U.S. dependents who were hired as laborers or house workers lost their jobs too.

12. The amount of revenue we generate here in CNMI is way too low compared to that in Guam and Hawaii.

13. There is no way, an employer can generate revenue to hire and train local employees with no skills.

14. Right now even as we speak, this abrupt decision creates racism among the longtime resident workers and the local residents.

15. We, the CNMI residents, are also offended, and feel that we have been taken advantaged of because of the number of population and the level of education we have.

16. The promise made in the covenant to help educate and train the people of the CNMI to be able to rebuild the economy has not been completed, because U.S. Congress and many who are here to negotiate forgot to provide the experts (which we do not have) to train and guide us, or show us the way to comply with the constitution and the law. Even our college is struggling to get accredited.

Rather than supporting Killi’s bill I will oppose it, because even at present Chamorros and Carolinians are struggling to get a job. Imagine if we became minority in our own land, what’s going to happen? No more Chamorro and Carolinian can run for office and win. No more job for our children, because they need skills trainings. No more government job for us. And what’s left for us? Labor-intensive jobs, a reverse of what we have now. Then later we are going to be homeless because we will be forced to sell our land due to poverty.

So, parents and children start investing in college now, because soon whether this Senate bill is passed or not we are still going there. That is our future. These CWs will become our families and friends, whether we like it or not.

I also want to remind U.S. Congress that most of the Chamorros and Carolinians at the time of the Covenant Agreement were not even high school graduates. And we were promised education and training and up until now this part was never fulfilled. How can we defend ourselves when we are not at same level of understanding? Yes you give us funding, but what good is the funding without training?

We do not want to become enemies of our friends and families, who are longtime resident and will be affected by this bill. Many of these of these longtime resident are contributing to our economy at present and we do not wish to give them the impression that they are not welcome here. We just want to make sure that we in the same page with everyone else. Please reconsider, and revisit our group.

My parents went to school and raised me properly. But how about those whose parents did not go to school, how can you expect something from them? Please revisit this issue, and let us work together. The next time you visit, please meet and talk with our group.

Peace to all!