LEGAL AID SOCIETY OF HAWAI‘I
  • Home
    • About
    • Mission & Vision
    • Board of Directors
    • Locations
    • Legal Aid Newsletter
    • Annual Report
    • Outreach Calendar
    • Staff >
      • Staff
    • Contact Us
  • COVID-19 Legal Help
    • Unemployment COVID-19
    • Financial Assistance COVID-19
    • Funeral Assistance COVID-19
    • Stimulus Payment COVID-19
    • Housing & Utility Assistance COVID-19 >
      • Rent/Mortgage Assistance
      • Utility Payment Assistance
      • Locked Out by Landlord
      • Utility Shutoff by Landlord
    • Shelters COVID-19
    • Health COVID-19
    • Food Resources COVID-19
    • Courts COVID-19
    • Family and Safety COVID-19
    • Children COVID-19
    • Immigrants COVID-19
    • Seniors COVID-19
    • Military COVID-19
  • Resources
    • Elder Law Services
    • Brochures
    • Self-Help Centers
    • Filipino Resources
    • Chuukese Resources
    • Marshallese Resources
    • Kosraean COVID Resources
  • Opportunities
    • Board of Directors
    • AmeriCorps Positions
    • Employment Opportunities >
      • Executive Director
    • Volunteer >
      • Clerical Aides & Paralegals
      • Law Students
      • Pro Bono Attorneys
      • Fair Housing Testers
  • Legal Aid Impact
  • GIVE NOW
    • Support Our Work
    • Ways to Give
    • Cy Pres Funds
    • Leadership Circle

LEGAL AID IMPACT

A Story of Redemption: From Broken to Brave

11/29/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
Born and raised in the Hyogo Prefecture in Japan, Hitomi "Makalani" Imai, a Legal Aid client, never imagined she would live in Hawaii – “a beautiful land, with such beautiful energy,” she describes.

She is excited about her future as her life has turned around in surprising ways, and has adopted the Hawaiian name "Makalani" (eye of heaven) to symbolize a new start. She is also launching her life coaching program for fellow Japanese early next year. 

“I’ve always been thinking of my experience because emotional abuse is a big thing,” says Makalani. “My whole life is up and down, and I didn’t have the confidence. Now I know how to get the confidence. And I know many Japanese struggle with the same thing because of the culture. So, I decided to become a spiritual life coach.”

There had been a season in Makalani’s life when she was unable to speak and stand up for herself, and Legal Aid helped her get through it. 

It started in 2017 when she arrived on Oahu and married a man she met online after several months of courtship. They had a rocky beginning. He had broken up their engagement once for “not keeping some promises.” One promise was for Makalani to stop communicating with friends. 

About a year into the marriage when Makalani applied to become a lawful permanent US resident (get a green card), her husband vacillated between supporting and not supporting her application. He threatened divorce and told her to go back to Japan. She finally decided to divorce him when he denied support on the day of Makalani’s immigration interview. 

Makalani was resigned to accept her fate until she found out about Legal Aid through a friend. Legal Aid stepped in and negotiated with her then husband, eventually getting her to receive financial compensation.

“The Legal Aid attorney sent him a beautiful, strong, confident email to negotiate,” recalls Makalani. “It is not about the money, but it gave me the confidence that I’m okay, that I will be fine. With Legal Aid’s support, I finally stood up for me.”

The support Makalani received from Legal Aid staff went beyond the legal battle. They were there for her emotionally; they became her pillars of strength.

“Whenever I start to worry, the attorney and the paralegal always get back to me,” she says. “They were very supportive all the time. They are amazing!”

The divorce was finalized in 2019, and in April 2021, Makalani finally received a green card, applying as a self-petitioner under the federal Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). In a few years, she plans to apply for US citizenship. 

“Legal Aid helps immigrants who are in a position of being powerless. They think that they have nowhere to go. But Legal Aid helps them and lets them feel they are important individuals.”

Now, while preparing to launch her business called “Aloha Style Services,” Makalani works with a construction company using her administrative and accounting background. She also freelances as a translator of information materials from English to Japanese, and is currently in a supportive, loving relationship. 
​
“I’m doing great,” she says. And her smile says it all.
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Categories

    All
    Client Stories
    Donor Stories
    Staff Stories

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    October 2022
    February 2022
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    June 2020

    RSS Feed

Home
Get-Help
Resources
Fair Housing
Immigrant Justice Center
Volunteer 
​JOBS
Contact Us

Join Our Email List

Picture
Translate this site into 
another language

Picture
924 Bethel Street
Honolulu, HI 96813  
​

O‘ahu
808-536-4302
​
​Neighbor Islands

1-800-499-4302
Picture

Picture

THE LEGAL AID SOCIETY OF HAWAII DOES NOT HELP
WITH CRIMINAL OR PERSONAL INJURY MATTERS.

PLEASE CONSULT A PRIVATE ATTORNE
Y.

​computer safety
Websites you visit may be viewed by someone else later.  ​
​always clear your browsing history after searching the web.
​consider using a public or friend’s computer if you are concerned about someone viewing your browsing history.
​Legal Aid Society of Hawaii is a recipient of federal funding. Legal Aid does not exclude, deny benefits to, or otherwise discriminate against any person on the basis of race, color, national origin, disability, sex, or age in admission to, participation in, or receipt of the services and benefits under any of its programs and activities.
How to file a complaint: If you believe you have been subjected to discrimination by Legal Aid, there are 3 ways to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights: 

Click here for more information.

GRIEVANCE REGARDING DENIAL OF SERVICS OF QUALITY OF SERVICES
ANY CLIENT OR APPLICANT CAN FILE A GRIEVANCE TO COMPLAIN ABOUT A DENIAL OF SERVICES OR QUALITY OF SERVICES PROVIDED BY THE LEGAL AID SOCIETY OF HAWAII.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION.
Legal Aid Society of Hawai‘i ©2020 All Rights Reserved


  • Home
    • About
    • Mission & Vision
    • Board of Directors
    • Locations
    • Legal Aid Newsletter
    • Annual Report
    • Outreach Calendar
    • Staff >
      • Staff
    • Contact Us
  • COVID-19 Legal Help
    • Unemployment COVID-19
    • Financial Assistance COVID-19
    • Funeral Assistance COVID-19
    • Stimulus Payment COVID-19
    • Housing & Utility Assistance COVID-19 >
      • Rent/Mortgage Assistance
      • Utility Payment Assistance
      • Locked Out by Landlord
      • Utility Shutoff by Landlord
    • Shelters COVID-19
    • Health COVID-19
    • Food Resources COVID-19
    • Courts COVID-19
    • Family and Safety COVID-19
    • Children COVID-19
    • Immigrants COVID-19
    • Seniors COVID-19
    • Military COVID-19
  • Resources
    • Elder Law Services
    • Brochures
    • Self-Help Centers
    • Filipino Resources
    • Chuukese Resources
    • Marshallese Resources
    • Kosraean COVID Resources
  • Opportunities
    • Board of Directors
    • AmeriCorps Positions
    • Employment Opportunities >
      • Executive Director
    • Volunteer >
      • Clerical Aides & Paralegals
      • Law Students
      • Pro Bono Attorneys
      • Fair Housing Testers
  • Legal Aid Impact
  • GIVE NOW
    • Support Our Work
    • Ways to Give
    • Cy Pres Funds
    • Leadership Circle