VOICES: Mami Ikeda
Mami Ikeda, 49, will have to leave the CNMI in September due to the contract workers cap. Her family has lived in the islands for nearly 40 years. (Thomas Manglona II)
Editor’s note: In Saipan Tribune’s latest weekly series, “Voices” shares the stories of those in the CW community and sheds light on those directly affected by the humanitarian crisis in the CNMI.
Mami Ikeda’s family has lived here for nearly 40 years. She and her mother, father, and brother made Saipan their home in the 1970s. Although Ikeda moved back to Japan after her mother fell ill, her brother, Kazunori, and father stayed to live and work in the islands. They were laid to rest at the Tanapag Cemetery.
Ikea, 49, is the only one in her family left on Saipan. She spends her days processing documents for individuals and corporations—a job she’s had for nine years since returning to the island. She told Saipan Tribune that she even processes papers for contract workers whose papers were renewed.
The past few weeks have been hard on her job. While she passes along other people’s documents for renewal, Ikeda will have to leave in September. Like many others who did not reach the threshold to continue working in the CNMI, she says she will have to leave everything she has behind.
“This is where I grew up,” she said. “Nobody is going to look after my bother and father’s grave. I really don’t want to leave them.”
Ikeda sympathized with families in similar or even worse situations. “Too many families are being separated because they have children who were born here. This is their kids’ only home.” She added, “It’s so hard for them to bring them over if they are affected and need to leave because it costs so much. The majority of people who are affected happens to be those who have been here for 10, 20, or 30 years.”
When they reach their date of expiration, contract workers must leave within 10 days.
“What can you do in 10 days after living here for decades?” she asked. “People are devastated.”
Ikeda joins the wide call for improved status for those who have lived in the islands for many years. She said that is would give a number of people “peace of mind” because they have family here, who call Saipan their home too.
While Ikeda dreadfully waits for September to come, she expressed hope for an immediate solution.
“As you know, businesses are being affected by that and they are closing already. This is not just a contract worker problem, it’s the whole CNMI the whole business industry,” she explained. “I would like the federal officials to hopefully understand the situation when they came over for the meeting. I am hoping they do something about it.”
Ikeda was able to share her story and concerns in a recent meeting with local officials and representative from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. During her address, she noted that when people, such as contract workers, are so essential to the community and its development “then officials should consider that they need to stay.”
If there’s no meaningful action taken, Ikeda will have to leave, following in the path of countless other workers who have already departed the island.
“I don’t have funds to go home. When I came back in 2009, I left Japan for good. I did not leave anything there,” she said. “I did not leave a thing there…If I had to leave I would have no place to go back to in Japan. It is going to cost me a lot. I could maybe come back as a new hire, but I don’t know how long that is going to take.”
If that day comes, Ikeda said that she knows so many people support her and others.
“I’ve made so much friends since 2009 than I did in Japan. People here are already my family. I am blessed with so many people.”
Ikeda has maintained an active voice in the developing situation. She started a Facebook page and website called “Faces of CWs” to connect workers and express the concerns of those affected. Visit www.facesofcws.com to view the group’s activities.
I see lot’s of reasons for not WANTING to go but nothing compelling as to why she CAN’T go. Two different things. She has been aware it may happen for at least a month, add that to the three months remaining until Sept. so we won’t expect to see an ” I haven’t had time to prepare” article come Sept, right?
You are so cool watching Mami’s suffering. But she is just some Japanese as some Filipinos, Bangladeshi, Koreans and other subhumans. They are not entitled for any compassion or mercy. But your superior position of superhuman is good only for Saipan. As soon you will step over the boarder line, you will be reduced to the same subhuman status and everybody will have right to slap you on a head and drag you from your seat or take your possessions. Would it be wrong? If Yes, Why? It perfectly fits to your interpretation of humanity.
“Treat your neighbor as you want to be treated yourself” (C)
A bilateral agreement between Japan and the US makes Japanese migration into the US different from the rest of foreigners.
READ THE BIBLE: THERE IS A TIME FOR EVERYTHING. A TIME TO REAP, AND A TIME TO SOW… SO, MAYBE THEY’RE SOWING WHAT THEY REAPED MANY YEARS AGO?
Wow, she’s led an interesting life! As a Japanese citizen, she got to spend much of her life in a foreign country–most people don’t experience that. I am sure she’s learned a lot, and I hope she has enjoyed the experience.
But how is hers a “humanitarian crisis?” I don’t think the writer of this article understands what that means. Here’s the definition:
A humanitarian crisis (or “humanitarian disaster”) is defined as a singular event or a series of events that are threatening in terms of health, safety or well being of a community or large group of people. It may be an internal or external conflict and usually occurs throughout a large land area.
Here are the top three REAL “humanitarian crises” of 2015:
1. Syrian Refugees due to warfare (over 2 million homeless children)
2. Nepal earthquake (8,000 dead)
3. West Africa Ebola outbreak
What we have here in Saipan is a little immigration problem that is NOT life-threatening, only inconvenient. No one is being hunted down and killed, no one is dying of a virus, no one is in immediate peril. Saipan Tribune is irresponsible to report these items. It’s a good thing no one who is truly facing such a crisis will ever be insulted by reading this paper.
I think that you are wrong. And the most interesting that you refuse to grasp the mechanics of modern civilization fruits of which you harvesting.
This social-economical system is based on exchange of products. This is the reason that big countries fight for new markets and protect own one.
People labeled CW are not just members of this society, they are members of local consumer pool. When all of them will go the population of Saipan will decline close to 25% percent. If quoted by you by events fit to the definition of a “humanitarian crisis”, try to recalculate those events as percentage of total population. And after that try compare the result to the prospect of what Saipan and CNMI is facing.
Did you pay attention that recently Price Costco (or what is its new name) shelves are empty? It is because the management has to reduce delivery frequency. This is because people (either local or CW’s) are leaving. When customer pool will shrink another 20-25%%, the frequency of food and goods delivery will be reduced to one per month and the list of delivery will be narrowed to the most demanded items. The tanker that delivers fuel to Saipan will be the same, but the cost of delivery will be applied to much lesser pool of customers. What do you think about $6.00 per gallon rate? You still think that it is a fiction? Think one more time.
The quality of life will decline – this is not a guess, but the statement. . Shops will be closed. First Hawaiian Bank will follow BOH example – keep just one branch. CUC and IT& will be forced to hike their rates. Local landlords who rented out their land and houses will lose the income. If you hope on Chinese billions, you are naive. Those guys are good in counting money. They will jump from this wagon first.
So, this is why CW problem is not a problem of CW’s only it is the everybody’s problem.
Perhaps it may be a good thing. Quality of life may diminish? I totally disagree with you. The quality of life may improve, if and when the leadership get together and rebuild in according to what they can handle and the people of these islands can thrive. The quality of life for the indigenous and US citizens is no better now than 35 years ago. Technology and modernization may have improved, but it is in no way improving people’s lives as far as I am concerned. There are many struggling US citizens while the rich get richer and many have left the islands to find better lives elsewhere. That sir, is not a good thing for the people of these islands. WE belong here. No one else but us belong here. And, it is far from being a racist. We just want our chance to grow in our own home. I am sorry for those who are negatively impacted with the CNRA and no one is denying them the chance to come back, if they can, but the CNMI government needs to assess the needs of its own citizens and work with a growth that it can manage without depending on foreign laborers for economic growth. There is a great gap between responsibility and greed, and this economy on nothing but greed highly conducive for corruption which is now really getting out of hand. We do not want to end up being the only US jurisdiction with a third world living condition.
Dear Juanita,
You, as many local people, always asking leadership to make plans and improve your (and other native people. All of you do not understand that there is just one way to improve the well being: roll up sleeves and work. Not just attend some office or work place and wait for by-weekly checks.
Work mean to work as hard it is possible and as long as it needed. Did it occur in your head that you, as all other local people, do not need to be hired by some business. You have the right to be self-employed.
“All of you do not understand that there is just one way to improve the well being: roll up sleeves and work. Not just attend some office or work place and wait for by-weekly checks.” My, my, my! Did you have to fly all the way to Saipan to find that out yourself? How did that hard work work out for you where you came from? Obviously not very well since you are here cashing in on cheap labor, right? So, what you are suggesting is ALL OF US locals must be immediately business savvy to run our own business and be on top of the elite businesses among the wolves brought in by our leaders while sending our kids off for education and training in areas we have no intention of using them for? You are giving a 10 cents answer to a 100 dollars question. You are indeed the perfect scientist for this corner of the world, of which, you know nothing about. Work hard and earn your money, leave the locals to work out their own problems. We do not need your two cents worth of “knowledge”.
Dear Juanita,
I read your posts on different agendas.
It seems to me that you are an interesting character.
I would not be surprised to learn that you are belongs
to red shirts that gather at B&B political rallies:
“Biba Marianas!”, “Marianas for locals only”.
So, I have some questions:
– You stated “We belong to those islands for thousand years”.
Q 1: Who are “We”?
Q 2: How particularly you are related to those ancient seamen that found future Mariana islands?
– You say pretty energetically against bombing on Pagan.
Q 3: Did you rise your voice for Pagan when former Governor Fitial
proposed island to Japanese as a dump pit or some local businessman
proposed to dig the island down for pozzolan?
– “Nobody else is belongs here…”
Q 4: Following simple logic “If A is equal B, B is equal A”, does your
statement mean that locals are not belongs to the Outside World?
Q 5; In light of Q 4, would it be fare on part of the Outside World to say after
Sodelor “We do not care. Anyway we are not belongs there. F*ck them”?
As I said above, you have an interesting personality and represent particular group of local people. It would be interesting to continue our discussion.
+-+
Q1: WE are the Chamorros, Carlinians, anyone else who, by timing, became Northern Marianas Descents and all other US citizens. Although, the true answer to your question is the Chamorro have lived on these islands for more than 3,000 years.
Q2: I am not interested in my Spaniard relatives, although, I do have to admit that even they, were here following the Chamorros.
Q3: Fitial was not the governor offering the Northern Islands as a dumping ground. Get your facts straight before you open your mouth. And, yes, I did open my BIG mouth against that move.
Q4: Never held myself to belong to anywhere else but here in my home. I have visited and lived in many places, but home is home; and, yes, these islands are our homes!
Q5: Shows how stu’id you are. Lending a hand where it is needed is far different from protecting yourself against complete takeover and possible annihilation. I will help you get home as part of my humanitarian duty. It is, however, time for OUR people to thrive in their own homes! How many containers did you ship for humanitarian relief?