Episode 209 – Tagnawa: An Ilocano Response to the Maui Fires

This Filipino American Life

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On August 8, 2023, Maui experienced the largest wildfire in the “United States” in more than 100 years, killing 101 people and displacing 6,500. National media portrayed the disaster as an unfortunate incident to Maui’s idyllic setting for tourism. However, hidden from this mainstream narrative is the larger context of how the wildfires and its disproportionate affect on Filipinos (who make up 40% of Lahaina Town), Native Hawaiians, and other historically marginalized communities of color transpired. The Maui Fires, like Hurricane Katrina nearly 20 years ago, was largely a man-made disaster, scorching the island through the convergence of settler colonialism, racial capitalism, and climate change.

In this TFAL episode, Joe (who traveled to Hawaii for a conference) interviews Nadenza (Nadine) Ortega and Michelle Salazar Hyman, two Pinay community organizers who led a group of volunteers to give much needed assessment and aid to the thousands of Filipino survivors of the Maui Fires. Fresh from their conference presentation, Nadine and Michelle share how the fires need to be placed within a larger, imperial framework, how they responded to the disaster due to the inadequate relief efforts from outside organizations, how the institutionalization of Ilocano language learning was vital to build, organize, and help community, and the ongoing struggle to service the thousands of Filipino American survivors in Maui.

The Maui Fires of 2023 is another example of systemic racism towards Filipinos and other communities. We hope this conversation sheds light on this much needed issue and helps re-frame the discourse of “natural” disasters.

Listen or download the episode through the embedded player on our site, or subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever your favorite podcasts are found.

If you’d like to get in touch with the organization, please email them at [e-mail] and follow their IG page, @tagnawaformaui.

Let us know your thoughts on the episode. Leave us your confession at (805) 394-TFAL or email us at [e-mail].