Arts, Culture & Media

Far From the Pacific, Micronesians Increasingly Call Missouri Home

This story is a part of

Global Nation

This story is a part of

Global Nation



Hang around southwest Missouri long enough and you're bound to meet someone named Rehobson. The family name is common in Micronesia, and in parts of this state.

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"I get a lot of that, 'Missouri?'" Micronesian migrant Lou Rehobson said. "We like it here."



"I was working at a bank (in Micronesia) but I was making a $1.95 an hour," she said.

Rehobson said despite the white sand, blue ocean and palm trees, the country's weak economy means migrants lead better lives in the United States. Like many Micronesians here, in Rehobson's family one person came for school or work and then another followed, and another.

Rehobson's aunt and brother had already migrated to Missouri when she considered making the move. The family was attracted by the state's cheap cost of living, good education opportunities and ample jobs in factories.



"This is home"




"My dream was to come here, get a better education and then get a better job," Handy said. "Now I'm only living through my kids. I'm going to try my best to raise them in a good way and try my best to save up for their education."

The Ozark Micronesian community has pulled through hard times. In 2007, a Micronesian man opened fire inside the church. He killed three people, including Lou Rehobson's brother and uncle. It was national news. Rehobson still has the sympathy cards that poured in from across the country. She keeps them in a binder three or four inches thick.

"I think (the shooting) brought everybody closer," Rehobson said.

The close community is a key ingredient to making Missouri home.

Rehobson remembers when she arrived in the US with her husband 18 years ago. Her family picked her up at the airport and brought her to a cookout, complete with barbequed chicken, steak, hotdogs and the signature Micronesia dish of pihlohlo made from grated tapioca, coconut milk, sugar, and ripe banana. "Wow, this is home," Rehobson remembers thinking to herself that day.

With what Missouri can offer these migrants—a cheap cost of living, entry-level jobs, and a close community—the question isn't why are Micronesians in landlocked Missouri. Rather, why would they ever leave?

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