Bill > SR172

This Resolution officially designates March 10th as Enewetak Atoll (Marshall Islands) Liberation Day to honor and remember the people of Enewetak Atoll and their descendants living in Hawaii. The resolution acknowledges the historical context of Enewetak Atoll, a legislative district of the Marshall Islands, which was under Japanese control during World War I and II, experiencing hardship and displacement. It notes the U.S. capture of Enewetak Atoll in 1944 and the subsequent commemoration of March 10th as the day residents emerged from bomb shelters, which evolved into "Liberation Day" in the 1980s. The resolution also touches upon the U.S. nuclear testing conducted in the Marshall Islands from 1946 to 1958, the resulting challenges faced by the Marshallese people, and the establishment of the Republic of the Marshall Islands as an independent nation under the Compact of Free Association (COFA). Finally, it highlights the right of Marshallese citizens, including those from Enewetak Atoll, to live, study, and work in the United States without a visa, recognizing that many displaced Enewetak residents currently live in Hawaii.