8 episodes
Arkansas Atoll Arkansas Story Vault
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- Society & Culture
In 1946, the United States began nuclear testing on the Marshall Islands in the Pacific Ocean. Nearly seventy years later, Northwest Arkansas is home to the largest population of Marshallese in the continental U.S. As they face the immediate impacts of climate change in their traditional homelands, the number of Marshallese living as nuclear and climate refugees in Arkansas continues to grow.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Marshall Islanders in the area have been disproportionately affected by the virus, accounting for half the deaths in the region. Arkansas Atoll is a podcast that shares the stories of the Northwest Arkansas Marshallese—their history, their hurdles and their hopes for the future.
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I Am Scared
Neisan Laukon is an employee at a Tyson chicken processing plant in Springdale, Arkansas. As the novel coronavirus spreads through the Marshallese community, Neisan and her daughter Faith reflect on the experience of being an essential worker during a pandemic.
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A Part of History
Benetick Maddison shares the history of the atomic testing in the Marshall Islands and how the nuclear legacy continues to affect his community.
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New Islands
This episode recounts the immigration stories of several nuclear refugees to Northwest Arkansas and the complicated status of the Compact of Free Association.
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It's an Injustice
Faith and Neisan Laukon along with Dr. Sheldon Riklon discuss the health care disparities that Marshallese in the United States face.
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Rising Waters
Melisa Laelan, Chief Executive Officer of the Arkansas Coalition of Marshallese, describes the imminent dangers of climate change in the Islands and her plans to assist Marshallese communities in Arkansas and in the Islands.
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It's Mr. Alvin
Alvin Hiram, an educator in Springdale, Arkansas, talks about how he helps the youth of[ his community by working within the school district that supported him through his struggles with childhood cancer.
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