SPRINGDALE — SPRINGDALE - Handmade shell necklaces were in style Monday afternoon when the consul general of the Republic of the Marshall Islands opened a ceremony with music and prayer at the Boone Ritter building across the street from City Hall.
A two-man band played island tunes as the crowd of about 300 assembled for a dedication ceremony for the consulate in Springdale. Shortly after Marshallese President Litokwa Tomeing took his place as the keynote speaker, Springdale Mayor Doug Sprouse and the Day Star Quartet sang the national anthem.
Springdale might be a long way from the tropics, but the large Marshallese population living there was enough to convince the Marshallese and American governments that it would be a good place for a consulate. Carmen Chong Gum, who has lived in Springdale for a decade, was appointed consul general.
Formerly the Marshallese outreach coordinator at theJones Center for Families, Chong Gum has plenty of experience helping the Marshallese community.
"This is what people have wanted," Chong Gum said. "I don't know what the future will hold, but I'm glad to be a part of it."
Chong Gum's focus will be on the immigrants who settle in Springdale. The Marshallese often need help with lost passports and U.S. Immigration I-94 forms, both of which are needed for employment. Chief concerns among the Marshallese are health and maternity care, employment, education and adjustment to American life.
As consul, Chong Gum also will keep an eye on potential investment opportunities for Americans back on the islands.
Murjel Tarkwon, a Marshallese who has lived in Springdale for 20 years, performed two songs with the choir from the First Marshallese Church of Lowell. Thechoir practiced for three days.
"This is awesome," he said, as the crowd waited for Tomeing.
Northwest Arkansas is home to what is believed to be the largest Marshallese population in the continental United States, with estimates from Marshallese officials ranging from 4,000 to 8,000 people. Officials with the U.S. Census plan to conduct an accurate count in 2010. Marshallese households already are being identified, and Springdale will host the region's census headquarters.
Tomeing, who recently spoke to the general assembly of the United Nations in New York, gave his comments Monday in Marshallese. He arrived at the consulate in a sport utility vehicle flanked by Secret Service agents.
In the United States, the Marshall Islands has a consulate in Honolulu, an embassy in Washington, D.C., and a permanent mission to the United Nations in New York.
The Marshall Islands, a string of 29 islands and atolls southwest of Hawaii, was the site of nuclear testing during the early years of the Cold War. Under the Compact of Free Association, created in 1986, the Marshallese can come and go freely from their homeland to the United States provided they have proper documentation. Marshallese, however, are not U.S. citizens.
Sprouse said he hopes the Marshallese learn to appreciate Springdale.
"For those of you who came here to make this your home away from home, my prayer is that you will grow to love this place as I have," he said.
Northwest Arkansas, Pages 7, 12 on 09/29/2009