In his letter to Napolitano, the former governor said he received many complaints from “well-to-do” Koreans who were spoken to by CBP officers in a “humiliating and challenging way” in front of their families.
Many Japanese visitors are reporting similar incidents, Tenorio added.
Tenorio said instead of welcoming visitors, CBP officials use a “challenging voice” to question their motive of visiting the CNMI.
Worse, he added, the most harshly treated are the commonwealth’s most frequent business visitors who have appropriate visas and who bring investment dollars and tourists to the islands.
“Regardless of country of origin, your employees should treat all visitors pleasantly and courteously. They are the first Americans our visitors meet on their arrival. They need to carry out their important responsibilities with sensitivity to the cultural norms of our Asian neighbors,” Tenorio told Napolitano.
“I suggest that retraining is in order for current [CBP] officers and that new employees be taught how to carry out their duties both effectively and pleasantly,” he added.
“A smile goes a long way toward making visitors feel welcome. A glare hurts the reputation of our beautiful tropical islands,” he added.
In an interview yesterday, Tenorio said the CBP officers at the airport are “jeopardizing” the CNMI’s tourism industry.
He said he wrote Napolitano not to complain about the questions that the officers ask the visitors. It is the way they ask the questions that bothers him.
He said the tourism industry is struggling and the only “bright spot” has been the arrivals from Korea.
