Marshallese Youth Of OC Receives $500k From Rep. Katie Porter

RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA, CA — From 1946 to 1958, the United States unleashed 67 nuclear weapon tests in the Marshall Islands. The tests resulted in an explosions akin to 1.6 Hiroshima-sized bombs every day for 12 years. Due to the damage the Marshall Islands sustained from these tests, many Marshallese people fled to the United States and made their homes in counties like Orange.

On Friday, the Marshallese Youth of Orange County received $500,000 in federal funding, courtesy of Congresswoman Katie Porter. The funding will go toward providing support services and cultural programs, among other things, to the Marshallese community in Orange County.

The MYOC is a nonprofit organization devoted to helping first-generation Marshallese Americans get healthcare, education and employment.

"Orange County is blessed to be home to one of the first Marshallese communities in the United States, but their reason for coming here reflects a disgraceful chapter in our nation's history," Porter said in a statement. "It's been 75 years since the U.S. first detonated nuclear weapons in the Marshall Islands. We still have work to do to help right this wrong, and I'm proud to do my part by securing this critical funding for our local Marshallese community."

According to a statement released by Porter's office, Marshallese-Americans were also barred from Medicaid from 1996 to 2020 due to a legislative drafting error, despite promises that all Marshallese Americans would have access to the program.

Porter is a long-time advocate for the Marshallese-American community. She is a member of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, and directed the U.S. Department of Energy to increase radiological monitoring and community engagement in the Marshall Islands in June.

"What a monumental gain this has been not only for Marshallese Youth of Orange County, but for the Marshallese community here in Orange County," MYOC Founder and Director Kelani Silk said in a statement. "We would also like to take this opportunity to thank Congresswoman Katie Porter and her staff for assisting in the continuance of their support, we, MYOC are humbled, grateful and blessed."