Statement of purpose

Statement of Purpose

Asia Pacific Studies is a much-needed field and one must not take lightly the people who fill those pages being the object of such studies. I believe that indigenous writers with unique upbringings stemming from a unique cultural experience can fill the void that is often wondered by different cultures that seek to know more about the Asia Pacific Region and its various complexities. To date, legitimate indigenous writers and authors in the Marshall Islands amount to less than 10 out of an approximate population of 60,000 and about fewer than 10 percent of that population have college degrees or higher. The objective of my study is simple: I want to register Marshallese intellectual capability by first showcasing a unique scholarly produced Masters Thesis all whilst applying what I’ve learned in grad school through my unique experiences by being a civil servant to my country “the Republic of the Marshall Islands.”

When I say, “register Marshallese intellectual capability by first showcasing a unique scholarly produced Masters Thesis”, I mean it wholeheartedly. Marshallese must register their mark in the intellectual academic community through example and they must showcase their unique intellectual experiences afforded only to pacific island societies.

Honest scholarly research from indigenous writers must begin to bear fruit in an increasing transparent society that is built on the notion of individual respect to our fellow man despite the color of their skin, where they are from, and what they possess as a nation. Life, when explored in all angles and understood, can break the barriers we ourselves have set when creating differences amongst our fellow man which continue to plague our disagreements. It is only through mutual understanding and a deeper appreciation of societies that can break the stereotypes and prejudices that continue to plague us.

I believe that showcasing the Marshall Islands as equally reputable and great as an indigenously led pacific society can lead people to dismantle their open ended prejudices that seem to dictate how they view lesser privileged societies like the Marshall Islands.

The point of scholarly research in the Asia Pacific Studies program is to empower and give recognition to the indigenous voice through scholarly research and if educational accreditation through established academic avenues are viewed as the appropriate medium for such endeavors, I believe that I must take this step to attain a level of seriousness in having the Marshallese indigenous intellectual voice be heard in our anthropological descriptions and records.

The Marshall Islands is an orally driven society, all records were recorded through oral tradition. With each passing year, more and more of our traditional intellectual property that defines us as a people deteriorate simply because it is not written down and if it is written down, it is often biased depicting us Marshallese as an inferior race thus writing us off with inaccurate descriptions of who we are as a people. I hope to be one of the very first Marshallese scholars who will contribute to the cultural and intellectual preservation of the Marshallese people and its culture by first changing the direction of our anthropological description from primitive un- evolved savages to respectable indigenous warriors who have survived the true test

of time. I plan to do this not only through academic achievements and recognition but also following through with active civil engagement by working for my country and contributing what I’ve learned.

I had to learn the hard way through my own work experience how inaccurate history texts can be damaging to students and damaging to the mental state of Indigenous Asian Pacific Islanders. This is largely due to the fact that there are not a lot of Marshallese writers. My own experience in lobbying with success for the temporary suspension of an inaccurate history textbook, convinced me even more that Pacific Islanders in the Marshall Islands need to take proper ownership of their own intellectual property so as to paint themselves through the right light. Asian Pacific Islanders such as myself need to take the lead in contributing scholarly research that increases humanity’s full awareness of things, particularly in the Asia Pacific Region. It is for this very reason that I believe that the Masters in Arts for Asia Pacific Studies. As an Asian Pacific Islander, I believe it is my duty to contribute and register a unique cultural perspective that comes from an isolated region in the Asia Pacific region known as the Marshall islands. This is a concrete way for me to contribute to the cultural preservation of the Marshallese people and it is also a chance for me to acknowledge the depths of human history by offering insight using myself as an instrument or more so a vehicle to achieve that end.