The Samoan Community is an isolated community. The Samoan Community doesn't seek out existing agencies for many reasonslanguage, and only in a crisis

cultural

differences

situation will they reach out. Presently the clients and Samoan Community seeks out the NASETP Program for all needs, not just for employment and training. As such, the majority of our clients not only come to us needing work or skill but need full orientation in acquiring independence in utilizing existing systems such as transportation, communication, job search, and acceptable codes of behavior. The Samoan Community is an emerging group with many adjustment needs.

The Samoan Community has been stereotyped as people of big size, violent, athletic, etc. The body size has caused a lot of bias and prejudice treatment from agencies and institutions and individuals in their surrounding areas. A big contention at present is the treatment of the Samoans by the Police or Law Enforcement Agencies. Samoans in Counties such as San Francisco, Los Angeles, Orange, are treated with excessive force. It is a practice that squads of police are called in to settle any situation that a Samoan may be involved.

The recent deaths of two unarmed brothers in the city of Compton Los Angeles County brought out hundreds of Samoan demonstrators outside Compton City Hall to demand a criminal investigation of the incident, in which an officer shot two unarmed men 20 times. The media stated protesters, some of them in traditional Samoan Sarongs and flowing dresses, marched for an hour around singing Pacific Island hymns about love and peace. The marchers carried signs bearing such slogans As "Who Will Protect Us," and "20 Times Equals Murder". Autopsy reports showed that the two brothers suffered a total of 20 bullet wounds, many in their backs. The brothers, one a warehouse worker for a Wilmington Chemical

firm. The younger brother, a scholarship student at El Camino College, he was a member of the football team and founder of the College's Pacific Islanders Club.

Many of the chiefs stated that, "There are a lot of shootings involving Samoans that are swept under the mat." We cannot continue to be silent. Children are left fatherless by those

who are to protect us.

The area from whore most of our participants live is low income and high crime. The environment, added to SOMO drawbacks that are culturally based, are precisely the reasons why Samoans could not access other JTPA programs in their SDA. Support services to assure their certification and continued attendance in training were lacking in those programu. Because JTPA is placement oriented, these "high risk" individuals would have been considered too risky to enroll by other JTPA programs if these individuals were to go to them for training and placement services.

In recognition of the above problems facing our Samoan communities in California, we ask your support and commitment in our struggle to improve and empower our American Samoan families and communities in a movement towards self-sufficiency.

PROPOSED PLAN

The National Office of Samoan Affairs

(NOSA), will be funded

through 1992 at the present level of $712,500. We are seeking to continue our services through 1993.

California, the state that represents most of the Samoans out-side of the U.8. Territory of American Samoa, has Samoan communities ranging from Northern California to Southern California. Three (3) geographical regions are presently being served: San Francisco County, Los Angeles County, and San Diego County. For this program year, we will expand service site areas to include Orange County. We believe the demand for our services is sufficient to serve nearly twice as many people as We are currently serving. In addition to the basic JTPA training and placement, staff efforts are directed to the building of self-esteem and purpose which are

key elements in enabling the participant to deal with the "clash" of cultures. Education workshops on the "survival in the U.S." that targets the families coupled with outreach from NASETP staff illustrate to these families how crucial it is to provide support to the participants would definitely have a positive effoot and affect on the participants. Additional workshops should address the problem of parents condoning their youngsters "dealing in drugs." The NASETP Program requires staff not only to work with the participant but also with the family. Continuous monitoring and counseling with participants through training, placement and retention is a must. To insure a successful program, additional manpower is required to achieve this.

Samoan JTPA funded programs such as NASETP which address this specific combination of inadequate educational preparation, limited English proficiency, and non-substantial on-the-job training among American Samoans are urgently needed. To expand the JTPA services throughout the Samoan communities in California and to ensure that our children, our families and our neighborhoods are able to participate fully in service an programs our government provides. We are seeking funding for a total of 1 million dollars for services through 1993.

PROGRAM MANAGEMENT

The Hawaii State Department of Labor, in collaboration with the National Office of Samoan Affairs will continue to be the fiscal agent and provide oversight and monitor the program. NOSA will be developing and managing program operations. This collaborative effort combines the strength of all agencies involved in a way that best insure the effectiveness of the program.

In closing, we want to thank you for accepting our testimony and again we ask your support for continued funding in recognition of a population at risk. Recommended funding for NASETP for next fiscal year 1 million dollars for California.

Senator INOUYE. Thank you very much.

I am certain you are aware that last year I was invited to join you one afternoon at one of your stores and, needless to say, I was very impressed with what I saw there and every beneficiary there on that afternoon most were from Asia, the Southeast Asian corridor-were very pleased and satisfied with what the State of Hawaii was doing.

So I would like to commend you and the State of Hawaii and also the community and business community for pitching in and helping. If we can set this as a model for the rest of the Nation, I think it would help. So through you, may I thank all the staff members, paid and volunteers. Thank you very much.

Thank you, sir.

Before I call upon the next panel, for those of you who may be wondering why we just have Hawaii witnesses, about 10 years ago we on this committee decided to focus special attention upon problems in Hawaii because of the unique role that Hawaii plays in the Pacific. Unlike other States, our State has taken upon itself responsibility to concern itself with the problems of the Pacific, for the outlying territories, the trust territories, Guam, Samoa.

And as all of us are aware, we have on a proportionate basis a larger number of immigrants in the State of Hawaii than any other State. Accordingly, it was felt by this committee that the State of Hawaii was entitled to have a special day just to air their concerns with the committee. No other State has this special treatment, in case you wish to know, because if we did that all we would do would be having hearings all day long.

But as you may have noted, as a result of these hearings we have been able to target these problems and come forth with solutions. The Jobhelp Store I think is a good example of that, and we hope to enhance that program and see what more we can do.

I have been told that other States are now looking to Hawaii for guidance in this area.

STATEMENT OF MYRON B. THOMPSON, TRUSTEE, KAMEHAMEHA SCHOOL/BERNICE PAUAHI BISHOP ESTATE, HONOLULU, HI

ACCOMPANIED BY S. HAUNANI APOLIONA, PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, ALU LIKE, INC., HONOLULU, HI

Our next panel concerns itself with education for the native Hawaiian, and we have as witnesses a trustee of the Kemahameha School/Bishop Estate, Mr. Pinky Thompson, and the President and Chief Executive Officer of Alu Like, Incorporated, Ms. Haunani Apoliona.

Ms. Apoliona, Mr. Thompson, welcome.

Mr. THOMPSON. Good morning, Mr. Chairman. I would like to thank you for allowing us to testify this morning. I have submitted a longer form of this testimony which I would like to summarize at this time.

Haunani and I have agreed that I would be the front person this morning and she would do all the answering on the questions.

Mr. Chairman, as you well know-before I begin, I would like to thank you and Senator Kassebaum and the rest of your colleagues for sponsoring the study on the adolescent health of the youngsters