The general election is quickly approaching, so KUAM News spoke with a large and important group in the community about their hopes for the election...despite many of them not eligible to vote in it.

Thousands of them immigrated here and now call the island their home, many pursuing educations, entering the workforce and raising families on Guam. Yet many members of the FSM community feel excluded from the rest of the island's people. 

Here we meet three different people who all came here to pursue an education at the University of Guam.  They’ve each called Guam their home for over a decade now. 

Like Leilani Giltinag, who’s originally from Yap. She’s invested in the island's politics but will have to watch from the sidelines in the general election. The harsh reality for her is disappointing.

"A little sad," she said of her general sentiment about the situation. "I pay taxes, I do everything like other Guamanians, Chamorros or people who are eligible to vote do except vote for our leaders here so I encourage all the other ones who are born and raised here on Guam who are eligible to register to vote to go ahead and vote for their leaders because their vote their voice pretty much affects my life here on Guam."

The same goes for Sam Ilesugam, he too can’t vote for the island's next elected officials as he, too, came from Yap.  "Of course, I’m not a U.S. citizen so I have no right to vote but at the same time there’s a need to bring our voices and our issues to our elected leaders. This is my community so we want to be a part of the community building process."

Head of the Chuukese Association of Guam, Hentrick Eveluck, moved from Chuuk back in the 80’s and has seen improvements in involving their community.  Like the others he won’t be casting his ballot in the general election but shares another venue for members of the FSM community to have their voices heard. 

"If we get them involved in the decision making the lawmaking process on island the feeling of being alienated will be restored, and they can actively contribute to the community that they have chosen to live out," he shared with KUAM News. "We need the feeling of part of the community and the feeling of alienation is just something that nobody can comprehend or absorb or swallow it out."

Ilesugam also shared the importance of having them involved in policymaking, noting, "How do we make our voices be heard in the elected leadership. I’ve seen some of the reports that have come out regarding our communities. If we’re having an impact on the education system here on Guam, If we’re having an impact on the medical system here on Guam, if we’re looking at our impact on the housing services here on Guam, if we’re saying that we’re a big influence and a part of those systems, then how can we get our voices to be a a part of decision making within those systems?

"Why can’t we be a part of the Department of Education board? Have you seen any members of our community on the board for housing? Have you seen any members being a part of the Guam Memorial Hospital board?"

As for needs they see in the community, Eveluck proposed, "The needs are health and education.  Out." Ilesugam added, "Access to healthcare, access to affordable housing, having enough food to put on the table for our families. We need good roads, some of our community members live in areas that could really benefit from good roads just like everyone else we need access to better education."

They're hoping island leaders can address these issues in their community and provide effective solutions. Ilesugam continued, "I heard the other day a high rate of our population being at DOC. That's not new. That's something that has been happening over the years. How are we addressing it? I’m sure our leaders and service providers have been working at this for years but is it making an impact within that population?"

"Something I heard the other day about Micronesian kids at DYA. Again that’s not new, it's been going on for a while . We’ve been working at it for years so what’s the solution? I’m not going to provide you the solution, it needs to be a community solution. Again maybe if we start to look at things from a different angle then we might start to see some positive changes."

Giltinag, too, has a message for current and future island leaders, saying, "I was hoping that the next leaders would consider us, members of the community, contributing members of the community. There’s a lot of stigmas around the FSM Community on Guam and for the past couple years I’ve seen a lot of improvements, a lot of engagement in the FSM community with things that are going on so I want to continue seeing that but I also want to see the support from the elected leaders."

They've heard the stigmas commonly said about their community, with Giltinag sharing, "There's drunks, alcohol use, drug use, violence, family violence, homelessness that’s kind of one of the issues that kind of gets to me. Why would you leave your island and come out here to be homeless but at the same time it’s kind of impossible or almost impossible for them to get into housing without the support that they need.

"In my career, I’ve been working to help my brothers and sisters from the FSM try to get on their feet but it’s also like one person can’t do it and I’m only one voice in the community. If we could get that support from our elected leaders it would really help."

And Eveluck added when asked if he's ever noticed negative stigmas tied to the FSM community, "As being a part of the community, I observe that.  I heard and realized it and understand it myself. Another thing, but let me be honest with this: during the past few years a couple years ago, I am one of those that is getting the feeling of being offended by the priority of deportation of the citizens. I feel offended. There are some ways we can handle that. There are courts on Guam there are some rehabilitation programs that we can handle.

"Maybe there's a need for them to implement it well for those that are in need out."

All three are encouraging other island residents to exercise their right to vote and hit the polls come election day and be a voice for those who can't participate.