Maui’s Latino community is devastated by wildfires

Lahaina, the historic town on the island of Maui where Kimberly Romero lived, worked and sent her 5-year-old daughter to school, was already in flames when they fled this month with just minutes to spare.

Lahaina, the historic town on the island of Maui where Kimberly Romero lived, worked and sent her 5-year-old daughter to school, was already in flames when they fled this month with just minutes to spare. Mother and daughter found housing in an Airbnb. But now, Romero faces an uncertain future as her home and belongings were destroyed. Originally from Honduras, Romero moved to Lahaina a year ago and was just getting to know what she called a “homey” Latino community. 

“I did see pictures of my apartment complex. … There was just nothing left there,” Romero told NBC News. “I’m a single mom. You know, we’re in that house. All the memories … it’s so heartbreaking. And I know they’re material things … but it’s very traumatic. … Your life can change from one second to the other.” 

But that same Latino community on Maui, which also includes Mexicans, Salvadorans, Guatemalans and Argentinians, now faces a particularly grueling set of challenges in the fire’s wake. Lahaina’s Latino immigrants, many of whom moved to Maui to work in its bustling tourism industry, are struggling to navigate the loss of their homes, jobs and loved ones. Many are wondering if they’ll be able to stay in Maui or whether they’ll have to leave and go to other states with steadier work opportunities.

Last week, the Mexican Foreign Ministry confirmed the death of two Mexican nationals in the fires, but the exact number of Latinos who are missing, deceased or displaced as a result of the fires remains uncertain. About 1,100 people remain unaccounted for, and officials have turned to DNA testing to help identify remains, though that has made some immigrants who lack legal status fearful. 

“We have DNA swabbing going around because they’re trying to identify people that are deceased with people at shelters and I had a girl ask me, ‘Am I at risk of, you know, getting deported?’” said Alejandra Ramirez, co-founder of Roots Reborn, an organization created to mobilize resources to immigrants affected by the fires.