We are deeply saddened by the sudden passing of one PLAN’s most beloved member, Dr. Joakim “Jojo” Peter, who passed away on April 9, 2019 in Honolulu, HI.
The Center for Pacific Islands Studies (CPIS) at UH Manoa made the following announcement on their FB page.
The Center for Pacific Islands Studies is deeply saddened to share the news of the passing of CPIS graduate, longtime friend, and pillar of Micronesian and Pacific communities, Dr. Joakim Jojo Peter. Jojo, as he was affectionately known by many, passed away yesterday at Kuakini Medical Center in Honolulu. He was from Etal, Mortlock Islands, in Chuuk State, Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), and had a distinguished career and record of community service in his home islands and in the State of Hawaiʻi. Jojo completed his MA in Pacific Islands studies at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (UHM) in 1994. He later earned an MA in history in 1997, also from UHM. For 15 years, Jojo served as Cultural and Education Specialist and Director of the College of Micronesia Chuuk campus. He also served as head of the Chuuk Disabled Persons Association and was a founding member of the FSM Disability Council. He later returned to Hawai‘i in 2011 to pursue a doctoral degree. In 2017, he earned a PhD in special education at UHM, with a focus on immigrant families of children with special needs. Jojo cofounded the COFA (Compact of Free Association) Community and Advocacy Network in Hawaiʻi. He also served as Outreach Liaison with the Legal Aid Society of Hawai‘i, supporting Honolulu’s Micronesian diaspora communities and other homeless populations. Jojo’s service to the community also included his work as Community Advocacy Manager for We Are Oceania, a collaborative project aimed at centralizing the support system for all Micronesian communities, families, and individuals in Hawaiʻi. In 2017 Jojo was nominated to the Hawaiʻi Civil Rights Commission by Governor Ige, becoming the first Micronesian to serve on this commission. Jojo’s most recent appointment was as Senior Specialist for Community Engagement and Educational Equity with Pacific Resources in Education and Learning (PREL)—a Hawai‘i-based organization dedicated to improving education throughout the Pacific basin. Last year, Jojo was recognized as the 2018 School of Pacific and Asian Studies Distinguished Alumnus of the Center for Pacific Islands Studies. Earlier this year, and in collaboration with Jim Skouge, Jojo published his autobiography, Coconut Ratz & Kung Fu Cowboys: Tales of a Pacific Islander’s Childhood. The community and the region at large mourn this great loss of a dear friend and leader. The center extends its most heartfelt condolences and aloha to Jojo’s family, friends, and community during this very difficult time.