Alfred Dasugo, an 84-year-old Filipino longtime Lahaina resident, lost his home in the 2023 Maui wildfires and has endured extended displacement. FEMA placed him in temporary hotel housing but began charging rent after 18 months and deducted only a fraction of the amount he appealed, leaving a $1,215 monthly bill. He lives on Social Security, was denied food stamps for alleged high income, and found no openings in temporary housing programs with modular-home waits up to two years. Filipinos made up about 40% of Lahaina's pre-fire population and remain central to tourism, yet many face exclusion from recovery due to entrenched socioeconomic disparities, language and cultural barriers, and a history of exploitation dating to early 20th-century labor recruitment.
Alfred Dasugo, 84, says he's tired of waiting for help. A Filipino immigrant, Dasugo has called Lahaina home for more than a half century. As a young musician, he performed at the Royal Lahaina Resort with famed ukulele player Nelson Waikiki. Later, he spent 25 years working for Maui county parks and recreation, coaching volleyball and basketball to generations of youths.
After the catastrophic 2023 Maui wildfires engulfed the town, killing at least 102 people and destroying more than 2,000 homes, Dasugo bounced between hotels under a temporary housing program fully funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema). Then, after 18 months, the agency began charging him rent. Dasugo appealed to Fema, which deducted only a fraction of his rent, leaving him with a hefty bill of $1,215 a month.
Filipinos like Dasugo accounted for about 40% of Lahaina's pre-fire population and form the backbone of its lucrative tourism industry. Two years after the deadliest US wildfire in more than a century, many say they have been left behind in Maui county's wildfire recovery efforts due to long-standing socio-economic disparities, as well as language and cultural barriers. It's a systemic failure that some advocates say reflects Hawaii's colonial history and the exploitation Filipino immigrants have long faced.
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