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Marshallese mothers navigating discrimination in Hawaiʻi: Bwebwenato as method

Marshallese mothers navigating discrimination in Hawaiʻi: Bwebwenato as method Marshallese mothers face the highest rates of adverse maternal and child health outcomes compared to other ethnic groups in Hawaiʻi. Previous studies used interviews with healthcare providers to understand these disparate outcomes; however, the voices of Marshallese women are relatively absent. This project explores the bwebwenato (Marshallese mode of storytelling) of first‐generation Marshallese mothers who navigated discrimination before, during, and after pregnancy in Hawaiʻi. Using collaborative methodology, we co‐produced research that centers the bwebwenato of Marshallese women. In addition to the intersections of power and race in healthcare settings, Marshallese mothers chose to highlight the discrimination they faced growing up in Hawaiʻi. Through these stories, they profess their ability to navigate their cultural traditions and beliefs within and against a local racial hierarchy that places Micronesians at the bottom. Bwebwenato as a method has the potential to transform research into a more acceptable form for groups experiencing discrimination and patient‐provider interactions into more equitable exchanges. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Medical Anthropology Quarterly Wiley

Marshallese mothers navigating discrimination in Hawaiʻi: Bwebwenato as method

Wong, Katriel; Brunson, Jan
Medical Anthropology Quarterly , Volume 39 (3) – Sep 1, 2025
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15 pages

 
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References (57)

Publisher
Wiley
Copyright
© 2025 American Anthropological Association.
ISSN
0745-5194
eISSN
1548-1387
DOI
10.1111/maq.70008
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Marshallese mothers face the highest rates of adverse maternal and child health outcomes compared to other ethnic groups in Hawaiʻi. Previous studies used interviews with healthcare providers to understand these disparate outcomes; however, the voices of Marshallese women are relatively absent. This project explores the bwebwenato (Marshallese mode of storytelling) of first‐generation Marshallese mothers who navigated discrimination before, during, and after pregnancy in Hawaiʻi. Using collaborative methodology, we co‐produced research that centers the bwebwenato of Marshallese women. In addition to the intersections of power and race in healthcare settings, Marshallese mothers chose to highlight the discrimination they faced growing up in Hawaiʻi. Through these stories, they profess their ability to navigate their cultural traditions and beliefs within and against a local racial hierarchy that places Micronesians at the bottom. Bwebwenato as a method has the potential to transform research into a more acceptable form for groups experiencing discrimination and patient‐provider interactions into more equitable exchanges.

Journal

Medical Anthropology Quarterly – Wiley

Published: Sep 1, 2025

Keywords: Hawaiʻi; implicit bias; Micronesia; racialization; reproductive health

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