The language of the Marshall Islands comes to a landlocked Ohio town.

Kendall Crawford is a reporter for The Ohio Newsroom.

Published January 19, 2024 at 5:00 AM EST

Marshallese youth in Celina are attending language classes, like this one in November, to preserve their Pacific Island culture. Michael Capelle has spent much of his life listening to the stories of older relatives reminiscing about life in the Marshall Islands. Capelle has never visited, but his parents have passed down its traditions and history.

The Marshall Islands, officially the Republic of the Marshall Islands, is an island country west of the International Date Line and north of the equator in the Micronesia region in the Northwestern Pacific Ocean. The territory consists of 29 coral atolls and five islands, divided across two island chains: Ratak in the east and Ralik in the west. 97.87% of its territory is water, the largest proportion of water to land of any sovereign state.

The country shares maritime boundaries with Wake Island to the north,

Kiribati to the southeast, Nauru to the south, and the Federated States of Micronesia to the west. The capital and largest city is Majuro, home to approximately half of the country’s population. “We sail around the seas, and we don’t need navigational tools. That’s what sets us apart,” he said. “We’re the people of the sea.”

Landlocked Ohio looks a lot different. Still, a small community of islanders made the long trek from the Marshall Islands – a country of 42,000 people that sits a couple thousand miles northeast of Papua New Guinea – to Celina, a small city in western Ohio, where Capelle lives. Despite the massive distance, Capelle is working to ensure the islands’ culture is passed onto the next generation growing up in Ohio.

Passing on the language

Around 30,000 people have emigrated from the Marshall Islands to the U.S. There’s no official count on their numbers in Celina, but city officials estimate around 1,500 Marshallese people live in the community. Capelle thinks it’s double that. The younger generation here is growing, he said, but their knowledge of Marshallese culture is fading.

“We can’t get to the point where our kids, all of them, don’t know how to speak Marshallese, they don’t know our stories, and they don’t know our values,” Capelle said. Michael Cappelle hands a green composition notebook to a teenager, while other students write at a table. He’s helping the student translate a sentence into Marshallese at a language class in November.

Michael Cappelle helps a student translate a sentence into Marshallese

at a language class in November.

So, in October, Capelle founded the Ohio Marshallese Youth Center.

On a Saturday night in November, nine teenagers are huddled around a table, scribbling notes and sipping Kool-Aid. Their attention is turned to a Zoom screen where Romaldo Kon Kabua, an instructor from Pacific Island Linguistic Services, is teaching them ways to greet each other in Marshallese: How to say hello, how are you, where they’re from.

But he’s not just offering translations. He’s teaching them about the islands’ matriarchal clans, the values of their ancestors, the traditions behind the text.

“Our greeting was very powerful, intentional, filled with love, filled with beauty,” Kon Kabua said, explaining the meaning behind “lakwe,” a greeting that literally translates to “you are a rainbow.”

Protecting a culture

Preserving this culture is difficult but important, said Capelle, especially because many Marshallese people didn’t choose to come to the U.S. Decades ago, they were displaced.

In the 1940s and 50s, the U.S. used part of the islands to test nuclear weapons. In Operation Crossroads, the United States relocated the tiny population of islanders from Bikini Atoll, a remote corner of the country, and detonated more than 200 million tons of TNT.

A dense cloud of smoke erupts from an atomic detonation at Bikini Atoll within the Marshall Islands. United States Department of Defense.

The detonation of atomic weapons in the Marshall Islands in “Operation Crossroads”

has left a devastating legacy on the small nation in the Pacific.

Those detonations have done lasting harm to the islands. Atomic radiation has damaged its population’s health, the islands’ environment and the Marshallese people as a whole. It contributed to emigration from their native land and subsequent erosion of the language skills that Capelle is seeking to preserve. The class is just one way that Capelle hopes to help reverse the gradual erasure of their culture.

“We’re thinking about getting to the high schools, getting to the government levels and showcasing our culture because we’ve had that question like, ‘Can you guys come and show us who you guys are?’” Capelle said.

A place for pride

Many of the students in the class said they speak Marshallese at home with their families, but beyond that it’s hard to find spaces to connect with their culture. That’s true for Emiko Ysawa, a 17-year-old who moved to Ohio seven years ago.

She joined the new language class so she could understand her “manit.” That’s the Marshallese word for “culture,” but it means more than that. One Marshallese essayist describes it as “the core of our being, the spirit in our walk.”

“As kids in this generation, we don’t really follow that expectation, and we just ignore it,” Ysawa said. “So for us to spread it out, we need to learn more about it.” Two teenagers write down notes in a composition book at a Marshallese language class in Celina.

Teenagers in Celina use this class as a way to not only practice their language skills,

but learn about the cultural stories and values of their homeland.

Her classmate Kayla Edejer agreed. The 14-year-old said leaving her home country was difficult. She’s grateful for the opportunity to keep in touch with its culture and ensure she has the language skills to talk with her family that remains there.

“I love how they reassure us, and they make sure that we feel comfortable in our own space and in this room,” Edejer said.

Capelle founded the Ohio Marshallese Youth organization so his young students can learn to find joy from their heritage, he said. He wants to continue to build places where pride in their home country is not just possible, but applauded.

“The Marshall Islands could sink, but I feel like it would always be with me,” Capelle said. “The Marshall Islands is not a land, it’s almost just a people.”

By Breaking News Staff January 05, 2018, at 2:07 pm EST

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Far from home: Marshall Islands community in Ohio.

The Marshall Islands, a chain of atolls and volcanic rocks in the Pacific Ocean, are far from the city of Celina, Ohio. Forced to migrate, more than a thousand Marshallese now make their home in the landlocked state. The Ohio Newsroom’s Kendall Crawford reports on how the community is keeping their heritage alive.

The Marshall Islands community in Ohio, particularly in the city of Celina, has been making significant efforts to preserve their culture and language. Despite being thousands of miles away from their Pacific homeland, the Marshallese in Celina are attending language classes to keep their traditions alive1.

Michael Capelle, a local resident, has been instrumental in these efforts. He founded the Ohio Marshallese Youth Center to teach the younger generation about their heritage, including the Marshallese language and the values of their ancestors1. This initiative is crucial as many Marshallese were displaced to the U.S. due to nuclear testing on their islands by the U.S. in the 1940s and 50s1.

The community in Celina is estimated to be around 1,500, but Capelle believes it could be double that number. The focus is on ensuring that the children growing up in Ohio do not lose touch with their Marshallese roots 1. It’s a story of resilience and cultural preservation far from home.

Learn more: 1ideastream.org 2theworld.org 3wvxu.org

Are there any cultural events or festivals organized by the Marshall Islands community in Celina?

Yes, the Marshall Islands community in Celina, Ohio, organizes cultural events and activities to share their heritage. One such initiative is the Marshallese Culture Club, which meets weekly1. The club focuses on teaching the language, customs, and traditions of the Marshallese people. This includes learning about the islands’ matriarchal clans, the values of their ancestors, and the traditions behind their greetings and interactions2.

Additionally, the Ohio Marshallese Youth Center was founded to help pass on the language and culture to the younger generation growing up in Ohio2. They organize language classes and cultural lessons to ensure that the children do not lose touch with their roots2.

These efforts are part of a broader movement to protect and preserve Marshallese culture far from its Pacific Island origins, especially considering the historical displacement of many Marshallese due to nuclear testing on their islands2. The community’s dedication to maintaining their cultural identity is evident in these regular gatherings and educational programs.

Learn more: 1apnews.com 2ideastream.org 3theworld.org 4dailystandard.com

The Marshall Islands, located in the central Pacific Ocean, consist of more than 1,200 islands and islets in two parallel chains of coral atolls: the Ratak (Sunrise) to the east and the Ralik (Sunset) to the west. These low-lying coral atolls and islands are composed of coral caps set on the rims of submerged volcanoes that rise from the ocean floor1. Here are some interesting facts about the Marshall Islands and their volcanic features:

I couldn’t find any recent records of a volcanic eruption in the Marshall Islands. However, the most recent significant volcanic activity in the region was the eruption at the Cumbre Vieja volcanic ridge on the Spanish island of La Palma, which occurred between 19 September and 13 December 2021 1. This was the first eruption on the island since 1971 and is noted as the longest and most damaging eruption on La Palma since records began 1. If you’re looking for information on a different event or location, please let me know, and I’ll do my best to assist you.

Overall, 48 volcanoes were in continuing eruption status as of 19 April 2024. An eruption marked as “continuing” does not always mean persistent daily activity, but indicates at least intermittent eruptive events without a break of 3 months or more. There are typically 40-50 continuing eruptions, and out of those generally around 20 will be actively erupting on any particular day (though we do not keep detailed statistics on daily activity). Additional annual eruption data is available for recent years.

The Smithsonian / USGS Weekly Volcanic Activity Report (WVAR) for the week ending on 21 May 2024 includes the 27 volcanoes shown below marked “Yes” in the WVAR column (rollover for report). The most recently started eruption is at the top, continuing as of the Last Known Activity date. An eruption listed here might have

Learn more 1en.wikipedia.org 2volcano.si.edu 3usgs.gov 4bbc.co.uk 5bbc.com

Geography and Formation:

None of the 29 low-lying coral atolls and the five coral islands in the Marshall group rise to more than 20 feet (six meters) above high tide.

The islands are coral caps formed on the rims of submerged volcanoes that rise from the ocean floor.

The largest atoll in the group is Kwajalein, which surrounds a 655-square-mile lagoon and has a land area of only six square miles.

The Marshall Islands’ nearest neighbors include Wake Island (north), Kiribati and Nauru (south), and the Federated States of Micronesia (west).

The climate is tropical, with a mean annual temperature of 82°F (28°C) and varying annual precipitation1.

Seamounts and Volcanoes:

The Marshall Islands are the site of several seamounts (underwater volcanic mountains).

These seamounts form part of a larger province extending from the South Pacific to the Mariana Trench, characterized by unusually shallow ocean ground.

Some seamounts in the Marshall Islands do not follow simple hotspot-like age progressions; their volcanic activity episodes can be complex.

The largest seamount is Kwajalein, which has a land area of only six square miles but surrounds a 655-square-mile lagoon.

Other notable seamounts include Aean̄-Kaņ, Neen-Koiaak, Wōd-Eņ Rok, and Wōd-Eņ Iōn̄2.

Specific Seamounts:

Aean̄-Kaņ: Located at 14°52.98′N, 160°27.38′E, this seamount has a depth of 850 meters (2,790 feet) and dates back to the Mid-Cretaceous. It is the largest in terms of volume, with 10,389 cubic kilometers.

Neen-Koiaak: Situated at 14°22.62′N, 161°01.16′E, this seamount reaches a depth of 1,025 meters (3,363 feet) and is approximately 102 million years old. It contains Hawaiite rock. – Search (bing.com)

Wōd-Eņ Rok: Found at 15°13.20′N, 163°00.00′E, this seamount is about 76 million years old and is a candidate member of the Ralik hotspot trail.

Wōd-Eņ Iōn̄: Located at 16°06.00′N, 163°02.40′E, this seamount is approximately 86 million years old and also a candidate member of the Ralik hotspot trail2.

Underwater Volcano of Marshall Islands – Search Videos (bing.com)

In summary, the Marshall Islands are not only a tropical paradise but also home to fascinating underwater volcanic features that shape their unique landscape.

Global Volcanism Program | Current Eruptions (si.edu)

Learn more: 1britannica.com 2en.wikipedia.org 3en.wikipedia.org 4pacioos.hawaii.edu

What are some traditional Marshallese foods?

Traditional Marshallese cuisine is a blend of indigenous fare and influences from other cultures. Here are some of the staple foods and dishes:

Breadfruit: Often used as a staple food, it can be roasted or mashed1.

Coconut: Utilized in various forms, including the meat and milk1.

Bananas and Papaya: Commonly consumed fruits1.

Seafood: Including fish, coconut crab, and clams, given the islands’ location in the Pacific1.

Pandanus: A type of fruit used in many dishes1.

Bwiro: A traditional dish consisting of fermented breadfruit paste wrapped in banana leaves and cooked in an underground oven1.

Additionally, some of the national dishes and popular foods include:

Barramundi Cod: Seasoned and wrapped in banana leaves, then baked2.

Chukuchuk: Rice balls rolled in freshly grated coconut2.

Sweet Potatoes & Fried Bananas: Boiled sweet potatoes and bananas fried in coconut oil2.

Rice-banke: A simple dish of diced pumpkins and rice, sometimes with coconut milk2.

Marshall Islands Macadamia Nut Pie: A dessert pie made with macadamia nuts, corn syrup, sugar, and vanilla extract, topped with coconut whipped cream2.

These foods not only provide sustenance but also hold cultural significance, often playing a role in celebrations and special events1.

Learn more: 1en.wikipedia.org 2tasteatlas.com 3everyculture.com 4foodnerdy.com

5media.gettyimages.com 6ak.picdn.net 7ak.picdn.net 8media.gettyimages.com

Tell me more about the traditional cooking methods in Marshall Islands.

Traditional cooking methods in the Marshall Islands are deeply rooted in the islands’

culture and natural resources. Here are some key techniques:

Earth Ovens (Ums): A common method is using earth ovens, known locally as “ums.” Food is wrapped in leaves and slow-cooked over heated rocks buried in the ground. This technique allows for a slow, even cooking process that infuses the food with a smoky flavor1.

Open Flame Cooking: Another prevalent method is cooking over an open flame. It’s a straightforward approach that imparts a distinct smoky taste to the food1.

Sun-Drying: For preserving fish, sun-drying is a traditional technique. The fish is cleaned, salted, and then dried under the tropical sun, which creates a storability and intensifies the flavor1.

Grilling on a Men: The traditional grill, called a “men,” is made from coconut leaves. It’s used to cook fish, meat, and vegetables over hot coals, giving the food a unique smoky essence2.

These cooking methods not only prepare the food but also preserve the cultural heritage of the Marshallese people, showcasing their ingenuity and connection to the environment.

Learn more: 170recipes.com 2foodnerdy.com 3chefreader.com

Adapting to rising sea levels in Marshall Islands (arcgis.com)

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Lima a Haven for Haitians

By Craig Kelly | The Lima News

Clifford Joseph displays a Haitian flag on his desk in his North West Street office in Lima. Joseph has been a point of contact for Haitians wanting to make a new life in the Lima area.

LIMA — Walk along the produce section of a small grocery store on the corner of West Spring Street and Jameson Avenue and you will find some familiar items, like yams or even plantains, but you will also find such items as malanga, a root vegetable, or a bag of lalo, or dried jute leaves. Look a little farther and you will come across items like cassava bread or jasmine rice, along with spices like cinnamon sticks and star anise.

If you have any questions, however, knowing some Creole French would be helpful.

This store is helping what is becoming an increasingly large Haitian population in the Lima area find some tastes of home as they work to make a new life for themselves in west central Ohio. As conditions deteriorate and violence rises in the small Caribbean nation, more Haitians are seeking refuge in the United States, hoping to find an escape from the violence and poverty that has stricken their home.

“From what I’ve heard from other Haitians, usually Haitians will be in the northeast, especially Brooklyn, or in Florida,” Lima psychiatrist Dr. Eddy Bruno said. “In fact, at some point, either Brooklyn or Miami have more Haitians than the second [largest] city in Haiti.”

What is bringing Haitians to Lima?

A native of Haiti, Bruno has lived and worked in Lima for nearly 20 years. While he will say he is not the first Haitian to live in Lima, he was one of only a few in this area for some time, he said. However, he is now seeing a shift as more Haitians find themselves in Lima and the surrounding area, with some having been first in the Springfield area and then migrating to Lima.

“I’m not sure how it happened, but it seems like that even when they’re trying to make it to the States, they’re hearing that the Midwest has more jobs and more opportunity,” he said. Bruno also cited the area’s lower cost of living as a draw for those in the Haitian community.

For John Noel, the owner of the Spring Street grocery store, that is what brought him to the area, having lived first in Columbus before moving to Lima two years ago. “Haitians are everywhere in the United States,” he said. “They need the jobs, so they come and get the jobs. They like to work.”

What challenges do they face?

That goal of employment is not always an easy one for Haitians coming to the community with few resources and obstacles like language barriers to overcome. Born in Haiti but now working in Lima, Clifford Joseph operates an office to help Haitian arrivals work through obtaining needed documentation and point them toward resources linking them with food, housing and education, and this has proved difficult.

“They don’t have all their papers most of the time,” he said. “Sometimes they don’t even speak the language. That’s another problem. Most of the time, when they move here, they rent a room from someone but the lease is not in their name, so it’s not easy for them to register their kid for school because as soon as they go to the school, they want proof of living and stuff like that. In Florida or New York or Georgia, because there are already a lot of Haitians already established in the community, they know them, so it’s easier for them to find services.”

That difficulty has also been exacerbated by the large influx of Haitians, with Joseph estimating that about 5,000 Haitians have moved into the area over the last couple of years. “I know it’s not easy for a small city like Lima,” he said. “They didn’t build the city to receive that many people. Getting 5,000 people at once, it’s not easy.”

How is the community responding?

Some in Lima have been working to address that need, with representatives from Mercy Health-St. Rita’s Medical Center starting a dialogue over the past year with Activate Allen County and the Lima-Allen County Chamber of Commerce, as well as representation from such areas as city and county government, public health and education, to address how to best help these new arrivals.

“It started as a conversation sometime in the fall,” Mercy Health-St. Rita’s Director of Government and Community Relations Beth Keehn said. “In the last few months, it became more active just because I think all the groups are starting to feel that flux of refugees more rapidly than we had previously.”

According to Keehn, this conversation has been leading to the beginnings of a new initiative to address these issues. To this point, the work has consisted mainly of listening, whether it was to a refugee office in Columbus, to community leaders in Springfield or to the new arrivals themselves.

“What we believe some of the challenges they are facing are questions around how to navigate healthcare, transportation options, education, and that includes traditional education as well as a big desire to get into English language classes,” Keehn said. “Employment options are a question, and then certainly housing. We’re at the very early stages of this structure.”

Bruno and Joseph echoed some of those concerns, relating stories of Haitians facing exorbitant charges to get rides to jobs or paying as much as $600 every week for housing. “One thing we are hoping and praying is that these people won’t be taken advantage of, but this is something we are seeing a lot,” Bruno said.

Joseph emphasized that the people coming here are often not uneducated but often include lawyers, engineers, nurses or other professionals, all of whom had to leave to avoid the escalating violence in their homeland. “They come here just looking for a better opportunity,” he said. “They are not coming to do anything wrong.

All they want is a better living. They are hard-working. They are not looking for handouts.

All they need is to find a job and make a good living.”
Language can become a Barrier – Search (bing.com)
Language barriers can make it difficult to understand1 2 3 4.

Here are some examples of how language can become a barrier:

Which language does the Marshallese speak – Search (bing.com)

Marshallese (Marshallese: Kajin M̧ajel‌̧ or Kajin Majōl [kɑzʲinʲ(i)mˠɑːzʲɛlˠ]), also known as Ebon, is a Micronesian language spoken in the Marshall Islands. The language of the Marshallese people, it is spoken by nearly all of the country’s population of 59,000, making it the principal language.^[3]

There are also roughly 27,000 Marshallese citizens residing in the United States,^[4] nearly all of whom speak Marshallese, as well as residents in other countries such as Nauru and Kiribati.

There are two major dialects, the western Rālik and the eastern Ratak.

The Haitian people primarily speak Haitian Creole and French1. Haitian Creole is the most widely spoken language, with more than 95% of the population fluent in it. It’s a unique blend of French, Taino, and some West African languages, reflecting the country’s diverse history and cultural influences2.

French, while being an official language and used in formal settings like education and media, is spoken fluently by only about 5% of the population, typically the elite and those in urban centers2. Other languages such as Spanish and English are also present in Haiti, especially near the border with the Dominican Republic and within the business community2.

How similar is Haitian Creole to French?

Haitian Creole and French share a historical connection, which is reflected in several similarities, but they are distinct languages with their own unique characteristics. Here’s a brief overview of their similarities:

Vocabulary: A significant portion of Haitian Creole’s vocabulary comes from French, although the pronunciation and sometimes the meaning of these words have evolved1.

Alphabet: Both languages use the Latin alphabet, making it easier for those literate in one to read and write in the other1.

Numerals: The numerical system in Haitian Creole is based on French numerals, so numbers are expressed similarly in both languages1.

Common Phrases: Some common French phrases and greetings are incorporated into Haitian Creole, often in a slightly modified form1.

Loanwords: For modern concepts, especially technical or scientific terms, both languages often borrow words from each other1.

Cognates: There are cognates—words that are similar in both languages and share a common origin—although their pronunciation and meaning may have diverged over time1.

Despite these similarities, Haitian Creole has its own grammar, syntax, and phonetics, which are quite different from French. This means that while someone who speaks French might recognize some words and phrases in Haitian Creole, they would likely find it challenging to understand or communicate effectively without learning the specific nuances of Haitian Creole2.

Learn more: 1berlitz.com 2sololingual.com 3ncesc.com 4ncesc.com 5frenchwin.com

There are 11 different Spanish dialects. – Search (bing.com)

How much does French differ in Montreal and Paris – Search Videos (bing.com)

Other languages such as Spanish and English are also present in Haiti, especially

near the border with the Dominican Republic and within the business community 2.

Learn more

1bing.com 2worldatlas.com 3en.wikipedia.org 4blog.rosettastone.com 5haitiopen.com 6familysearch.org— see less

Bonus: As Lima debates immigrants, Springfield could provide example – LimaOhio.com

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