Tonga's Bill Afeaki has resigned as the director of the Office of Pacific Islander Affairs in Utah, USA, along with other minority advocates who were instructed to resign by the incoming new State Governor.

The Salt Lake Tribune reports that Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr.'s approach to reorganizing minority affairs offices isn't being hailed as a model of bridge-building, as he has touted since being sworn in on Monday. Quite the contrary.

With little fanfare, Huntsman transition team members called Department of Community and Economic Development employees together Wednesday and instructed them to sign form letters resigning their positions.

"The spirit of today was sign [the resignation papers] and go," said Bill Afeaki, who, until Wednesday, was the director of the Office of Pacific Islander Affairs.

Forrest Cuch, of the Division of Indian Affairs; Tony Yapias, of Hispanic Affairs; Edith Mitko, of Asian Affairs; and Bonnie Dew, of Black Affairs, also resigned.



Afeaki said that collectively, they have helped hundreds of minority students find scholarships, helped families find affordable housing and fought for state programs that improve lives. But there wasn't even a simple "thank you" for their work.

"We've touched the lives of ethnic minorities, from the confines of their homes to state ...  programs. But I didn't sense a feeling of gratitude [on Wednesday]. We were herded in like livestock."

Chris Roybal, of Huntsman's transition team, said the way the new staff was chosen and the way the former staff was asked to resign was standard procedure.

But those like Afeaki, who spent long hours tending to ethnic groups in Utah, say that procedure was cold. "There needs to be feeling and care when you deal with people," Afeaki said. "They need to remember they are dealing with people."