Wake up,

young Islanders

Dear Sir

lam writing on behalf of all Pacific Islanders who are incarcerated. I am currently finishing up a two-and-a half-year prison sentence for first-degree roberry in the American state of Washington. I am a Papua New Guinean male of 21 years of age. I would like to make known an unfortunate problem in the Pacific Island community which has not been sufficiently addressed in the past.

The problem is the high percentage of Pacific Island youth being locked up in prison for severe offences such as mur der, burglarly, robbery, assault, drug posession, drug sales, rape, domestic vio lence, unauthorised weapon posession and more.

Many of these problems stem from association with street gangs which are plaguing Pacific Island youth. The prob lem is mainly occuring in mainland nations (primarily the United States, Australia and New Zealand). However, it is also a small problem in island-based urban environments.

One would assume that Pacific Islanders, having a strong family-orient ed culture, wouldn’t need to turn to street gangs, but unfortunatly many are doing so. With street gangs come all the other

problems associated with that lifestyle.

Unfortunately, this lifestyle that many young Pacific Islanders are turning to is putting them in only two places: prison or the cemetery. That is, unless they change and reject that ignorant mentality before its too late.

I would like the readers of PIM to be informed of this problem afflicting the Island youth. I believe many parents are unaware of this problem of gangs and crime, or may be in denial.

It is an unfortunate fact that upon this matter I am a voice of experience. In 1993 I was recruited to swim for a university.

Toward the end of my first year, after becoming ineligible to swim because of poor grades, I quit school and pursued the street gang lifestyle which had been knocking at my door for some time. I became heavily involved with drugs, alcohol and crime. In late 1994 I was arrested for first-degree armed robbery. A so-called “friend” and I decided to point a gun at someone and demand their money, not because we needed it, but because it was showing that we were “hard”.

When I think back on that lifestyle that I chose, it seems hard to believe that I let my morality and priorities slip away from me so far. Although I have since grown up a lot and left that bad lifestyle behind me as well as enrolled in college again, I know that there are many other young Pacific Islanders who won’t leam the first time, or even the second or third. I was 19 years of age when I was put in prison but many are as young as 14.

I don’t know what the solution is but I do know that I would like to be a part of

it, if possible. I can’t help but feel sorrow at the thought of so many of our young Island brothers (and sisters) being ex-con victs at such a young age when a lot of it could have been prevented.

Throughout my incarceration I’ve met many young Islanders like myself. In fact, it surprised me to see so many of these young men from Fiji, Tonga, Guam, Samoa and Hawaii and all in between; the norm seemed to be that they had no direc tion, that many would return after they were released. When I think about where all these young men come from, I wonder why they would do things that would cause them to have to live in a lOft-by 10ft concrete cage with three other peo

ple.

Although I have turned my life around and left all that foolishness behind me, I know that many have not. If this article can be a wake-up call for just one young Islander, or any young man for that mat ter, than my time is not wasted.

I plan on getting a teaching degree and returning to PNG after I am released and I applaud any other Islanders who have learned from being convicted of a crime and chosen to begin a new life. At the same time I warn the young Islanders in the cities who are living the gang and crime lifestyle, that prison is a horrible experience that hurts not only them but their families as well. No matter what the sentence is, the label of “ex-convict” is like a life sentence in itself.

I feel in my situation it is my duty to bring this issue to light. I feel some good could come out of people reading this.

To the young ones who are out on the streets committing crime, running with gangs, and doing drugs, I say only this; THERE IS NO FUTURE IN THAT WAY OF LIFE! I’ve had to leam the hard way which is not the good way; The good way is the PACIFIC way.

*pa.cif.ic adj. 1. Peaceful: serene

Young Islanders need to remember where they come from and which culture is theirs. Holding on to that culture will light the way for many generations to come.

Jason Hershey

Usa