“I was born and raised in Wai‘anae on the island of O‘ahu. I knew that Hawai‘i was expensive all my life — it’s hard to forget when you see your family struggle. I moved to Honolulu when I was 20 in hopes I’d land a nice office job in the city. I figured that was where the money was and I would make a better life, financially, for my son.
“After struggling for six years, living in a run-down studio with my six-year-old and husband, being unable to save, and my husband and I decided to move to Florida because he’s from there and everything is cheaper.
“I miss home and it breaks my heart that my son won’t get to grow up in the same culture I did and have May Days at school … but we couldn’t survive. We weren’t even living paycheck to paycheck; we were living paycheck to the following Monday.”
Natasha Luciano
Palm Coast, Florida
