SPRINGDALE, Ark. — The Marshallese community in Arkansas has been celebrating Manit Week for the last several days. On Saturday, Sept. 30, the week of celebration came to a close with Manit Day.
On the last Friday of every September, the community meets in Springdale to honor their way of life through shared stories and fellowship.
Those who took part cooked traditional food, played games and brought handwoven crafts for others to purchase or exchange.
Stephanie Takamaru, the project manager of Arkansas Coalition of Marshallese says, “It's really beautiful to see the community come together and just celebrate the rich culture that we have had for thousands of years.”
In the late 70’s, Marshall Islands native John Moody left the islands and settled down in Springdale. Today, there are about 20,000 Marshallese people living in Northwest Arkansas.
Anita Ipan, a member of the community says the theme this year is significant to a long-term goal many Marshallese communities have around the nation.
It's called Lutok Kobban Alele, which means to dig more into our roots and our culture so that we don't lose it. "Because that's the whole part. No matter where we go. We carry our current, our culture and our tradition with us," said Ipan.
The White House Initiative for Asian Americans, and Native Hawaiian Pacific Islanders was also here since Thursday to hear the concerns of the Marshallese.
Takamaru says documentation is a big concern.
“We’ve had family members lose jobs because they were not verified in the system to verify that they're here legally. So we've seen families, you know, become homeless because of that," added Ipan.
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