New Episode of AMERICA BY THE NUMBERS WITH MARIA HINOJOSA to Investigate the V.A.

In episode two of the eight-part series, AMERICA BY THE NUMBERS WITH MARIA HINOJOSA takes a closer look at whether the U.S. is doing enough for our country's Pacific Island veterans. By the numbers, the Americans residing on these islands sign up and serve in higher numbers, yet are among the most underserved upon returning home from U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Premiering in prime time on WORLD Channel on October 9 and on PBS on October 11 (check local listings), "ISLAND OF WARRIORS" looks at the military culture on the island of Guam, the toll of war, and the treatment available to these soldiers when they arrive home with a variety of physical and mental health challenges.

Watch trailer here: http://www.americabythenumbers.org/episodes/guam/

In "ISLAND OF WARRIORS," award-winning reporter and anchor Maria Hinojosa (NPR's Latino USA) comes face-to-face with the human consequences of this country's recent conflicts. The episode is the second of eight half-hours produced by The Futuro Media Group, presented by WGBH Boston and the National Minority Consortia (Center for Asian American Media, Latino Public Broadcasting, National Black Programming Consortium, Pacific Islanders in Communications, and Vision Maker Media).

Guam, a tiny island in the Pacific Ocean, smaller than New York City and home to fewer than 200,000 people, is an unincorporated U.S. territory 6,000 miles from the mainland. As many as one in eight adult Guamanians is a veteran-among the highest rates of all the states and territories.

Pacific Islanders, including citizens of Guam, serve at a disproportionately high rate in the U.S. armed forces, and also have the highest per capita rate of casualties and death. However, compared to other states and territories, Guam ranked dead last in medical care spending per veteran by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (V.A.) in 2012.

Anchor Maria Hinojosa looks at the military culture on the island of Guam, and how Guamanian veterans fare when they return home, often from multiple stints of duty, with a variety of physical and mental health challenges, including post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD.

"The V.A. has already drawn considerable fire from Congress, veterans and their families for delayed and often inadequate treatment of our nation's military heroes, but what is little known is the experience of Pacific Island veterans, who number among the most patriotic of US troops. The AMERICA BY THE NUMBERS series gives voice to the experiences of Guam's veterans, who, by the numbers, are some of the country's most underserved warriors," says Hinojosa.

In "ISLAND OF WARRIORS," Hinojosa connects with a number of veterans, health care officials, academics, armed forces recruiters, and more, to get to the root of the story.

Viewers will meet and hear the stories of wounded warriors such as Roland Ada, a retired Army medic who has seen more than his share of battlefield horrors in Iraq and is struggling with severe PTSD-yet who has not been treated because the closest VA facility for inpatient PTSD treatment is nearly 4,000 miles away in Hawaii. The VA community center in Guam is not equipped to meet the growing volume of veterans with PTSD and is in need of qualified therapists. Hinojosa also speaks with Craig Oswald, a representative for the VA Pacific Islands Health Care System, about the current level of services and the absence of a VA hospital in Guam.

The series also investigates the cultural and socio-economic forces at work in Guam that are contributing to the numbers. Sergeant Gonzalo Fernandez, who won top recruiter of the year for the National Guard three years in a row, attributes his success rate to the extreme patriotism of Guamanians and Pacific Islanders. However, University of Guam Professor Michael Bevacqua paints a different picture, citing the island's crushing poverty and unemployment as the reason for the high recruitment rates among Gumanians.

A look at this story "by the numbers":

• 2.6 million Americans have been deployed in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan since 9/11. (The Washington Post)

• More than half struggle with physical or mental health problems stemming from their service, and as many as 1 in 5 suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. (The Washington Post)

• As many as 1 in 8 adult Guamanians is a veteran-among the highest rates of all the states and territories. (Guam Office of Veterans Affairs)

• Compared to the other states and territories, Guam ranked dead last in medical care spending per veteran by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in 2012. (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics)

• The closest inpatient PTSD treatment center is located on Hawaii, more than 4,000 miles from Guam.

• Guam's poverty level is about 50% higher than the national average, and unemployment is almost double. (U.S. Census*; Guam Department of Labor)

Series Description
AMERICA BY THE NUMBERS WITH MARIA HINOJOSA reveals how dramatic demographic changes are playing out in our country today. This is the first national series to explore the impact of the new American mainstream-the growing numbers of Asians, Latinos, African Americans, persons of mixed race, immigrants, women, youth, and LGBTs whose influence over culture, commerce, and the outcome of elections is affecting every aspect of contemporary life. Each half-hour program focuses on underreported stories from every corner of the nation, amplified by the numbers-original statistical analysis and infographics illustrating the latest trends in population, health, education, and quality of life in America. From Native Americans confronting an oil boom in North Dakota to underserved veterans in Guam; from Asian students struggling to complete high school in California to multicultural MAD MEN in Texas; AMERICA BY THE NUMBERS WITH MARIA HINOJOSA showcases compelling stories, surprising data, distinctive visuals, and Maria Hinojosa's immersive first-person reporting style.

AMERICA BY THE NUMBERS WITH MARIA HINOJOSA is produced by The Futuro Media Group in association with PBS and presented by WGBH Boston along with the members of the National Minority Consortia: The Center for Asian American Media, Pacific Islanders in Communications, Latino Public Broadcasting, National Black Programming Consortium, and Vision Maker Media. Funding for AMERICA BY THE NUMBERS WITH MARIA HINOJOSA is provided by: The California Endowment, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the Druckenmiller Foundation, Ford Foundation, PBS, and W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

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About The Futuro Media Group:
The Futuro Media Group is an independent nonprofit organization producing multimedia journalism that explores and gives a critical voice to the diversity of the American experience. Based in Harlem and founded in 2010 by award-winning journalist Maria Hinojosa, the Futuro Media Group is committed to telling stories often overlooked by mainstream media. For AMERICA BY THE NUMBERS WITH MARIA HINOJOSA, The Futuro Media Group has assembled one of the most diverse teams in broadcasting including: executive producer and anchor Maria Hinojosa; executive producer Sandra Rattley; and series producer Charlotte Mangin. The MAINSTREAM USA episode was
directed by Marty Spanninger, produced by Xochitl Dorsey and edited by Chris Fiore. Paul de Lumen is Director of Photography.

About WGBH:
WGBH Boston is America's preeminent public broadcaster and the largest producer of PBS content for TV and the Web, including Masterpiece, Antiques Roadshow, Frontline, Nova, American Experience, Arthur, Curious George, and more than a dozen other prime-time, lifestyle, and children's series. WGBH's television channels include WGBH 2, WGBH 44, and the digital channels World and Create. WGBH TV productions focusing on the region's diverse community include Greater Boston, Basic Black, High School Quiz Show, and Neighborhood Kitchens. WGBH Radio serves listeners across New England with 89.7 WGBH, Boston Public Radio; 99.5 WCRB, Classical New England; and WCAI, the Cape and Islands NPR® Station. WGBH also is a major source of programs for public radio (among them, PRI's The World®), a leader in educational multimedia (including PBS LearningMediaTM, providing the nation's educators with free, curriculum-based digital content), and a pioneer in technologies and services that make media accessible to deaf, hard of hearing, blind, and visually impaired audiences. WGBH has been recognized with hundreds of honors: Emmys, Peabodys, duPont-Columbia Awards and Oscars. Find more information at wgbh.org.

About NMC:
The National Minority Consortia (NMC) is comprised of five distinct and separate organizations-Center for Asian American Media (CAAM), Latino Public Broadcasting (LPB), National Black Programming Consortium (NBPC), Pacific Islanders in Communications (PIC), and Vision Maker Media. With primary funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the NMC has emerged as a leader in the field of diverse independent filmmaking and digital media and has contributed to the nation's appreciation of diverse cultures and storytelling. Over the past 30 years, the NMC has developed and provided production support to a wealth of diverse content for broadcast and new media for multi-platform distribution on PBS, and to schools and libraries. The NMC collaborates on national series and specials for public media, and works with public television stations to launch community engagement initiatives. The organizations provide production training, professional development and mentorship for the advancement of producers of color. For more information, visit http://www.nmcmedia.org.

About WORLD Channel:
The WORLD Channel is a 24/7, multicast channel dedicated to delivering the best of public television's nonfiction, news and documentary programming as well as a growing schedule of original content from independent producers and communities of difference. The complementary website, www.WORLDchannel.org, expands on broadcast topics and fuels content across social media, providing opportunities for broad and diverse audience interaction. WORLD Channel is produced by WGBH/Boston, in partnership with American Public Television and WNET/New York, and in association with the Public Broadcasting Service and the National Educational Telecommunications Association. Funding for WORLD Channel is provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the Ford Foundation.

About PBS:
PBS, with its over 350 member stations, offers all Americans the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television and online content. Each month, PBS reaches nearly 109 million people through television and over 28 million people online, inviting them to experience the worlds of science, history, nature and public affairs; to hear diverse viewpoints; and to take front row seats to world-class drama and performances. PBS' broad array of programs has been consistently honored by the industry's most coveted award competitions. Teachers of children from pre-K through 12th grade turn to PBS for digital content and services that help bring classroom lessons to life. PBS' premier children's TV programming and its website, pbskids.org, are parents' and teachers' most trusted partners in inspiring and nurturing CURIOSITY and love of learning in children. More information about PBS is available at www.pbs.org, one of the leading dot-org websites on the Internet, or by following PBS on Twitter, Facebook or through our apps for mobile devices.

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