Tokie Ozaki, a 70-year-old Japanese national, tried to renew her green card on her own.

She has been trying for the last three years, and was getting frustrated, disappointed and worried. In those three years, she was asked to take biometric tests (fingerprinting) three times and to provide criminal records for the past 10 years (she doesn’t have any).

Finally, her friends suggested to call Legal Aid. How long did it take for us to get the green card? Three months.

Legal Aid Staff Attorney Makoto Messersmith from Hawaii Immigrant Justice Center (HIJC) initially contacted the immigration office to process the application on Tokie’s behalf.

The response was slow as well, so Makoto asked for help from Senator Mazie Hirono’s office. Within weeks, USCIS called Legal Aid and confirmed that they were issuing Tokie’s green card.

“Usually, we try everything first, and if nothing is happening, we ask for the Senator’s help,” said Makoto.

A few weeks after that, Tokie’s new green card was in her hands.

“I was relieved, and I’m happy I can depend on Legal Aid,” wrote Tokie in Japanese. “Attorney Makoto was very kind and explained the situation very well. It was very helpful because the services were provided in Japanese. Thank you so much, Attorney Makoto.”

“I just can’t imagine how stressful it must be for Tokie,” said Makoto. “I felt so bad for her, for years of waiting. I’m glad I can help and that she got the green card. She deserves it. She complied with everything.”

*Hana, a Native Hawaiian from Hilo, has been watching over her grandnephew since he was born. She loved him like her own.

When the boy left for California with his mom, Hana’s niece, she missed him, but she understood – her niece had to seek treatment for substance abuse.

This situation did not last long, however.

After a year, Hana and her husband picked up the boy from California, as his mother's treatment was not going according to plan. His mom decided to stay in California; she was unable to take care of him.

Hana was heartbroken for the child, but a power of attorney allowed her to make decisions for his welfare. After it lapsed in February 2022 when her grandnephew was only three years old, Hana reached out to Legal Aid for help with obtaining a guardianship.

The child needed dental work done, and Hana had to be declared his legal guardian to independently authorize medical or health care. It had become necessary to pursue a guardianship because his mother had been difficult to reach for consent for the various dental and other medical procedures he needed.

“I was frustrated by the complex paperwork and process to apply for guardianship,” said Hana. “I was concerned that it may not be awarded because I didn’t understand the process or what was needed for my situation. I didn’t want to have to repeat the process.”

Hana was anxious that without any kind of authority, she couldn’t get medical care for her grandnephew.

Why not adoption?

“The mother was only okay with guardianship. It preserves her parental rights,” said Hawaiʻi Island Managing Attorney Scott Shishido, Hana’s primary advocate. “She did not want to lose her parental rights to the child. If she wants to modify or terminate the guardianship, she still has standing do that.”

Legal Aid drafted the petition and represented Hana at the hearing. The judge approved the guardianship!

“Hana was very gracious,” said Scott. “She was happy for her grandnephew and that she can now authorize the care that he needed. It is a pleasure to work with clients who are trying to do what they need to care for children in their family." 

“They helped me understand the guardianship process and requirements,” said Hana. “Due to Legal Aid’s help, I was able to complete the necessary paperwork, secure the needed signatures, and successfully get a guardianship for my loved one.”

Guardianship cases constitute between 10 and 15 percent of total client cases on Hawai‘i Island.

Navigating the legal system – or life situations – is challenging as it is. Imagine the difficulty of someone with Limited English Proficiency (LEP).

This is when an interpreter and free civil legal help becomes invaluable.

Huan, 80, knows this firsthand. His native language is Cantonese, and he knows very little English. Because of this, and his age, his doctor encouraged getting an Advance Health Care Directive with his daughter’s help. She has been serving as Huan’s interpreter during medical visits.

 “He’s very healthy but they are worried that as he ages, he’ll need more help,” said Legal Aid Paralegal Rachael Reynon, Huan’s primary advocate. 

Huan also has an insurance plan, which might affect his ability to receive Medicaid. In preparing for his future, he wanted to appoint his daughter as Agent on a Power of Attorney to help in managing his financial affairs, too.

“The insurance provider said that if he wanted his daughter to assist him in managing his account in English, they would need a Power of Attorney to move forward,” Rachael said. “We are seeing more and more clients choosing this option to overcome language barriers.”

“I want some legal help due to my old age and language barrier, but legal help is normally very expensive,” said Huan who always relied on his daughter to manage his affairs. “Luckily, Legal Aid was able to help me at no charge.”

Additionally, it was difficult for Huan to travel to our Downtown Honolulu office. Through the help of our grants, we were able to travel to his residence to execute his documents.

“It is important to provide interpretation service to those who need it,” said Rachael. “We would not be able to provide effective legal assistance without the help of interpreters. Huan is fortunate to trust his family member to serve as his interpreter.”

For other clients, Legal Aid offers interpretation services (in-house and outsourced) in Chuukese, Marshallese, Tagalog, Ilocano, Japanese, Mandarin, Cantonese, Spanish, and many more.

“Legal Aid is an organization that you can trust,” said Huan. “They are willing to help. They give you advice and assist you with what you need. They make it very convenient for their client.”

“These documents can be simple and cost-effective, but they are very powerful and should be handled with careful consideration,” said Rachael. “Your agent should respect your wishes and have your best interest in mind. Thankfully, in this case, Huan trusts his family to support him. I’m glad that our clients can come to Legal Aid and receive services in a language they understand.”