Aloha mai kΔkou.
Scholar Activist and
Public Health Professional
Pronouns: he/him/his
Aloha! Κ»O Jake Ryann Sumibcay koΚ»u inoa (My name is Jake Ryann Sumibcay.
I am a health disparities researcher and health equity scholar who focuses on disparities and inequities among minoritized populations. I specialize in the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) populations. My research seeks to understand the nuances in racialized representations of these communities and how they are reflected in public health policy, practice, and research to advance health equity, anti-racism, and social justice.
Mahalo nui for visiting my website. Here you will find my CV, my social links, and contact information.
You can take the boy from the islandβ¦
but not the island from the boy.
I come from Honolulu, Hawaiβi, where I grew up in the ahupuaΚ»a of Kalihi-KapΔlama on the Island of OΚ»ahu. My parents immigrated from the Philippines as part of the Hawaiβi Plantation migration, and our family has been settled in U.S.-occupied Hawaiβi for over three generations. The unique experience of growing up at the crossroads of the Pacific has shaped my deep appreciation for the land, ocean, diverse communities, food, and extensions of family that make up my identity. I am an Assistant Professor of Health Policy and Management at the Thompson School of Social Work and Public Health at the University of Hawaiβi at MΔnoa. I earned my Bachelorβs degree in International Studies from Seattle University in Washington before pursuing both my Masterβs and Doctorate in Public Health at Claremont Graduate University in Southern California. Before joining the University of Hawaiβi, I was a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston, Massachusetts. No matter how far Iβve traveled, I carry with me the pride, passion, and values instilled in me by my island home.
Hawai'i is more than an idealized destination; it is a real place with real people facing real challenges. These challenges include the high cost of living, health issues, disenfranchisement and grievances of our Native peoples, and other social and economic problems. As a Keiki o ka 'Δina (child of the land), I have a relationship and responsibility to the land, the Indigenous people, and the communities. I take accountability for our shared and connected histories. I stand for decolonization, addressing the issues of colonialism and systemic racism and improving the health of all.
Kona Lows Flooding Recovery
The βKona Lowsβ is a storm that brings heavy rains from the southwest flow off the Pacific. HawaiΚ»i has been battered by rainfall that has led to destructive flooding of communities across the islands, especially along the North Shore of OΚ»ahu (Waialua, Mokuleia, Haleiwa), where they were asked to evacuate from life-threatening flash flooding. Recovery efforts are currently taking place to support the communities and families from the devastating flooding.
Below is a list of organizations that are providing aid and donations to communities and families impacted by the flooding
Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement-Every donation matched by the Hawaiian Council, up to $200,000.
UH Foundation: Support our UH βohana impacted by flooding
The Salvation Army: Conducting disaster relief efforts on Oβahu and across the state.
LΔhui Foundation: Mobilizing cleanup crews and coordinating distribution of donated items.
Hawai'i Food Bank: Serving hungry families, including those affected by the Kona low storm.
Aloha United Way: Operating a help call and text line to serve flooding victims.
Hawai'i Community Foundation: Operates a Stronger Hawaiβi Fund for disaster relief across the islands.
Hawai'i Farmers Union United: Created a Hawaiβi Flood Response Fund supporting farmers and rural areas hit by severe floods.
808 Cleanups: Coordinating volunteer cleanups in affected areas.
βΔina Momona: Restoring loβi at its Aloha βΔina Health and Learning Center in KΔneβohe.
StormKΕkua: A direct-to-Κ»ohana mutual aid site to provide monetary donations to families and businesses impacted by the storm
(Donations are being collected at multiple community hubs such as the Haleiwa Distilling Co, The Old Sugar Mill in Waialua, and Rainbow Restoration in Wahiawa) β Currently not taking donations but are distribution sites for families.
Volunteer Efforts
Sign up to volunteer to help with clean up across the island β currently closed, for the North Shore.
Visit the Hawaiian Council for more information about getting or giving help.
Κ»Εlelo Noeau
E hahai i ke ala o ka hana paβakikΔ«
Pursue the path of challenging work
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