Not being seen doesn’t necessarily bother Iree Chow.

Rather, it only strengthens Iree’s motivation to elevate Micronesian representation.

“The lack of representation of Micronesians continues to drive the work that I do,” Iree told The Husk. “In instances where I would feel unseen, I owe my mother, a strong Micronesian woman, who instilled in me the confidence and resilience to navigate foreign spaces and share the view that being a part of a minority within a minority could be harnessed as a strength.”

Iree was the first Micronesian president of the Pasifika Women’s Alliance. Between 2020 and 2022, Iree took the helm of the nonpolitical, nonsectarian, not-for-profit organization. The PWA is a network of women from Pacific nations and territories who migrated to Australia.

pasifikawomensalliance

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The alliance “seeks to build and strengthen a sisterhood by identifying the key issues that Pacific island women face in the community, promoting healthier and stronger families, supporting women to address and escalate issues to appropriate services and developing women and youth to be better leaders in the wider community,” Iree said.

Despite being away from home, Iree has dedicated a large part of her life to empowering her people and amplifying the voices of Pacific Islanders.

The 29-year-old new mom has roots in the village of Peniesene in Chuuk. The daughter of a Chuukese woman and Chinese-Solomon Islander man, Iree was raised largely in the Solomon Islands. She is currently living in Otepoti, New Zealand, having moved from Meanjin, Australia. It was in Australia where Iree said much of her heart work for the community began.

“This work has been centered upon empowering those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds — particularly Pacific island women and youth — to make more informed decisions and advocating for community-led solutions to address challenges and strengths at a local, state, and federal level,” Iree said.

Iree credits the PWA and the network she built as part of the PWA for nurturing her passion for social change.

In addition to being the first Micronesian president of PWA, Iree was also PWA’s youngest president.

“My womanhood and path have very much been shaped by this network. It came at a time I needed it most, and I realized all the things that went wrong for me had a lot of potential to be my gift to other young Pacific island women,” Iree said. “When I reflect on the eight years I was a part of PWA, I am immensely grateful for all the experiences, learnings, and, most of all, the meaningful relationships I have gained.”

Future Ancestors Program

Iree is also the co-founder of the Future Ancestors Program, a leadership program that she said works to empower young Pacific people to be change agents.

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“Outside of the Pacific, Australia and New Zealand are home to some of the largest populations of Pacific peoples but very rarely are our people, let alone young Micronesians, represented at tables of decision-making,” Iree said.

The Future Ancestors Program offers tools, training, cultural exchange, and opportunities to network. Iree said the program works to create genuine connections and culturally safe spaces through Pacific ways of learning.

“Such as the noos, or the learning mat, where we tell stories and learn from each other,” she said, referring to the Chuukese cultural practice.

As she continues to build up the Pacific community, Iree is also embarking on an exciting journey of motherhood.

“I recently gave birth to a baby boy so much of my time has been navigating my mum era! It has also made me realize the immense value of language, and as a nonfluent Chuukese speaker, I have been making time to learn my mother tongue so I can pass this on to my children,” she said.

To young Micronesians, Iree offers this advice, “Be critical of what has been written about your community and who’s defining and writing these stories. Take up space but also create space for others to join you!”

Support Iree Chow

Follow Iree Chow on Instagram @ireechow.

Follow the Future Ancestors Program on Instagram @pasifikafutureancestors and on Facebook.

For more information about the Pasifika Women’s Alliance, find them on Instagram @pasifikawomensalliance and visit their website, https://pasifikawomensalliance.com/.