The new restrictions on family-based immigration to the US imposed by President Donald Trump, as well as other stricter immigration policies, have had no effect on the number of Filipino immigrants heading to Hawaii, according to the island’s new Philippines consul general, Joselito Jimeno.
On Thursday, in an interview with The Maui News, Jimeno said that Filipino immigrants are still coming to Hawaii, with an estimated 4000 going to the island every year. He added that Filipinos take jobs Americans are unable to fill, especially those related to health care, such as medical technicians, and caretakers. Hawaii has a shortage of medical technicians, according to Governor David Ige, who headed to the Philippines to invite prospective workers to come to the island.
There is a total of 900 Filipino immigrant caretakers hired by Wilson Homecare in Oahu alone, and Jimeno says the company is trying to work out the logistics of bringing in even more. A large number of construction workers have also immigrated to Hawaii from the Philippines. Many of the Filipino immigrants have been sponsored by family members already living on the island under older Immigration and Naturalization laws.
Jimeno, who is a newcomer to the job and the island, says that Filipinos in Hawaii should get involved with the political process given that they represent 25% of its population. There is currently around 350,000 part or full Filipino-Americans living in Hawaii.