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Charles R. Paul, Republic of the Marshall Islands Ambassador to the United States, speaks to a crowded council chamber at St. Marys City Council's regular meeting Monday night.
ST. MARYS - As a child growing up on the Marshallese Island of Kwajalein Atoll, Charles R. Paul got his news like most of the world did - from CBS Evening News anchor Walter Cronkite.
"Everyone tuned in to Walter, and whatever he said was the gospel," Paul told St. Marys Assistant Law Director Kraig Noble and mayor Joe Hurlburt Jr. on Monday afternoon.
Now, as the Republic of the Marshall Islands Ambassador to the United States, Paul is dealing with streams of online misinformation about immigration that has confused and concerned locals and hurt the area Marshallese community.
"Some people are getting their information, we all know, from the internet and Facebook," Noble said. "The (real) information isn't getting out there. There's a real ignorance … about the Marshallese and that whole historic relationship with what happened during World War II."
According to the 2020 U.S. Census, there are 52,000 Marshallese people living in the United States. An estimated 2,800 Marshallese people are living in Ohio, according to Lydia Lanny, executive director of local non-profit Ohio Marshallese Community.
Since World War II, the U.S. has treated the Marshall Islands, along with Micronesia and Palau, much like territories. On the Marshall Islands, the U.S. has developed military, intelligence and aerospace facilities in a region where China is particularly active.
In turn, U.S. money and jobs have benefited the islands' economy. And many islanders have taken advantage of their ability to live and work in the U.S., moving in the thousands to Arkansas, Guam, Hawaii, Oregon, Oklahoma and Ohio.
Paul met with Hurlburt Monday afternoon following a contentious council meeting in which former city councilwoman Judy Weng raised concerns about Marshallese citizens purchasing a St. Marys church.
King's Cathedral Maui of Kahului, Hawaii, through Traci and Melissa Properties LLC, purchased the former Hillsdale United Brethren in Christ Church property at 701 Holly Street in June for $215,100 in a sheriff's sale, according to the county auditor's website.
Weng alleged without evidence that Marshallese residents in Celina are using churches as homes and that the St. Marys church on Holly Street was purchased to be used as home for a large group of Marshallese citizens.
She added that the residents work in industries in Celina, St. Henry, Coldwater and surrounding areas. Much of the concerns raised by Weng conflated Marshallese citizens with the thousands of Haitian immigrants that have settled in recent years in Springfield.
Haitian immigrants are in the United States through a different program than Marshallese citizens. Many Haitians have come to the U.S. to flee poverty and violence. They have embraced President Joe Biden's new and expanded legal pathways to enter and have shunned illegal crossings, accounting for only 92 border arrests out of more than 56,000 in July, the latest data available.
There is no credible evidence supporting that any church in St. Marys or outside the area is being used as a multi-family residence in violation of zoning regulations, according to a city news release issued just after the last October council meeting.
"The reason for my trip is the community is hurting from the unfortunate remarks that were made," Paul told Hurlburt Monday afternoon. "But, you know, like I've always said, we can't control what people say (or) the views in their hearts. But as leaders, I think we can set the discourse so that everyone understands where we (stand). These are law-abiding citizens that just want to look for a better life and opportunities in the United States."
Hurlburt said he thinks the allegations made at the last council meeting were said because there is a fear of the unknown.
"And there's always that fear when you don't know," Hurlburt continued. "My thought process this morning was, 'If they don't take the word of the ambassador, they're not going to believe anybody.'"
Marshallese people are legal non-immigrants, Paul said.
"We have this agreement with the United States (called the) Compact of Free Association," he said. "A lot of our citizens, they serve in the military at the highest rate per capita. And some of them, actually, they are enlisted from St. Marys and Celina. So we hold the same values."
Paul explained that the island is similar to a small town in that it has a very low violent crime rate. Before moving to the United States, Marshallese citizens must meet certain requirements, such as not having a criminal record.
"We don't hardly (see violent crime). It is a shock, really, because it's a small community," Paul said. "… If you have a criminal record, obviously you can't get on a plane to come to the U.S. There's specific rules to admittance into the United States under the compact. But essentially if you meet that criteria, and those things are mainly law enforcement issues, but if you meet that criteria, then you can then move to the United States."
At the regular council meeting Monday evening, Paul told an overcrowded council chamber that Marshallese people are just like everyone else.
"So who are the Marshallese? Marshallese in general are law-abiding (and) God-fearing," he said. "It's within our nature. (We are) non-confrontational and very kind."
A large crowd gathered at St. Marys City Council's regular meeting Monday night in council chamber.
St. Marys resident Denise Cassidy stood up at the meeting and called on council and the mayor to denounce some of the "racist fear mongering" that has happened on Facebook since the last meeting.
"This council, except for Mr. Aquaro, owe every single one of the Marshallese people in (this room an) apology," she said. "And I'm sorry Mr. Hurlburt, I voted for you, but I do not know where you were last week when you saw a fear mongering pain campaign going on on Facebook."
Councilor Michael Aquaro on Nov. 1 issued a statement on his Facebook page countering misinformation and praising the Marshallese as valued community members.
Hurlburt said although he did not respond publicly, he has been in touch with local Marshallese leaders and pastors in the community over the last few weeks.
"Shortly after our council meeting, I had an opportunity to actually stop into the church that they bought," Hurlburt said Monday evening. "And I went and talked to the associate pastor and I apologized to him about the way they've been treated in this community."
Council president James Harris responded by welcoming the Marshallese community to St. Marys.
"My personal opinion to the people of the Marshall Islands: welcome," he said. "I hope you make this your home."
During the officials' visit Monday afternoon, Hurlburt was presented with multiple traditional Marshallese gifts, including a woven wall- hanging for his office and a woven tie from the Marshall Islands.
In return, Hurlburt presented Paul with a key to St. Marys and thanked him for all of the "wonderful support" he received from the Marshallese community since he took office.
"Leading is hard enough. It's a tough job," Paul said Monday afternoon. "But at the same time, as leaders, you all have a lot of things that you need to do. Like I said, we can't dictate what other people feel or what they say. But what we can do is, we can show unity."
Paul is set to meet with Celina Mayor Jeff Hazel today.
-The Associated Press contributed to this report.
