It sounds like they've been taking this Marshallese singer to heart:
Posted on 02/07/2008 8:36:10 PM PST by navysealdad
LITTLE ROCK -- The people of the Republic of the Marshall Islands are among the unhealthiest people in the world. An estimated 6,000-8,000 Marshallese immigrants live in Springdale, AR. and the surrounding areas, of whom 867 are children enrolled in the Springdale School District, Pritchard told the House and Senate Interim Committees on Public Health, Welfare and Labor.Deputy State Health Officer Dr. Joe Bates testified that between 2000 and 2005, Northwest Arkansas had nine cases of congenital syphilis, six of which involved Marshallese; 38 people with infectious syphilis, 21 of whom were Marshallese; and nine cases of leprosy, all Marshallese.
Lawmakers also heard testimony from a leader in the Marshallese immigrant community who cried as she asked the legislators to do something to help. Sen. Bill Pritchard, R-Elkins, said the risk of an outbreak of serious disease is high and described the situation as a "time bomb."
Bates said the rate of leprosy in the Marshall Islands is the highest in the world, yet no survey has been done to determine the extent of the disease in among Marshallese immigrants in Arkansas.
"We think there are two to three times more cases of leprosy than we know about," he said.
Better get the ‘compassion’ pill out we are all going to need it.
Please excuse my ignorance, but I’ve never heard of such a large immigrant population from the Pacific.
Why are they here? Were they relocated due to nuclear testing, or what?
Why are we letting all these people into the US? Do we want to be a third world country, too? Unbelievable!
There are lots of Pacific Islanders who have moved to the US, and I expect that they tend to group together. (I knew somebody whose husband was from Tonga, and there was a large community of them in town.)
That is really interesting... I had no idea!
"Give us your tired, your poor, your rotting lepers yearning to be free..."
Let’s see if Huckabee declares that is divine retribution for speaking against the Lord’s annointed.
In 1986, a compact was created between the United States and the Republic of the Marshall Islands. The compact granted the Marshall Islands — the site of numerous nuclear tests between 1947 and 1962 — its sovereignty and allowed the U.S. to continue maintaining a missile test site at the Kwajalein Atoll.
The compact also allows citizens of the Marshall Islands to live and work in the United States without being subject to U.S. immigration laws, but they are ineligible for Medicare, non-emergency Medicaid, Social Security, food stamps, the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and most other forms of federally-funded public assistance.
Diseases such as tuberculosis and leprosy are alarmingly common among Marshallese immigrants, yet many are unable to afford treatment, according to Pritchard.
“Very often they do not come in for some help until the disease has (caused) very serious physical symptoms and is very far advanced,” he said. “So you can imagine the time bomb that we’re sitting on here with ... 6,000-8,000 folks freely traveling in and out of this country and in and out of the state, that when we have an outbreak of serious disease, it is going to be a state health problem.”
Deputy State Health Officer Dr. Joe Bates testified that between 2000 and 2005, Northwest Arkansas had nine cases of congenital syphilis, six of which involved Marshallese; 38 people with infectious syphilis, 21 of whom were Marshallese; and eight cases of leprosy, all Marshallese.
Bates said the rate of leprosy in the Marshall Islands is the highest in the world, yet no survey has been done to determine the extent of the disease in among Marshallese immigrants in Arkansas.
http://www.nwaonline.net/articles/2007/12/10/news/121107lrmarshalleseimmig.txt
There’s some sort of treaty that relaxes immigration laws for Pacific Islanders. Many of the homeless in Hawaii aren’t even Hawaiian, for example, they’re from other pacific countries.
Thanks. I didn’t think this was an excerpt, so I didn’t follow the link.
I knew it must have something to do with the military or nuclear testing, though.
Yes we do. Come to Minnesota where we have the Hmong with TB in the schools. Third world country YAY!
Curb your xenophobic outrage. They're here legitimately (if in poor health).
The Marshall Islands have a special relationship with the U.S. Our relations are governed by the Compact of Free Association, through which Marshall Islanders enjoy certain privileges, including with regard to employment and immigration.
You can click Here for more details.
My nephew goes to college in MN. I hear you have quite a few Somalians as well. What on earth are we doing? It’s nuts!
.......give thee the highest medical cost to me....
For Marshall Islanders, at any rate. See the links at #13.
This diversity is just gonna make us stronger, right?
Oh yeah, and -
I leave my wallet at the White House door.....
Leprosy is another form of Herpes virus.
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