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I consider it a privilege to have to choose which Fiesta’s I can go to because there are just so many… especially since I live not on Guam, but in San Diego.  A few years ago I never would have guessed it.

This last Fiesta was something a little different because it is actually not held on Guam in quite the same way.  You’ll have to read the article to see how.  I thoroughly enjoyed this special San Diego celebration and some lovely young ladies who graced it on their way to vie for Miss Liberation Day Queen.  Click on the PDN photo at the bottom to see Heather, Kaylen and Ashley.

A Celebration of Mary

Saturday, May 11 was the San Diego celebration of Santa Marian Kamalen, the patron saint of Guam.  The mass and fiesta were done in the traditional way with all the Catholic and Chamorro traditions in tact.  Jess “Bataik” Cruz, president of the Sons and Daughters of Guam Club (SDGC) joked that if you were somehow dropped blindfolded into the party, you could believe that you were on Guam.  Yet this event is something unique to the Chamorro San Diego community.  The Feast of Santa Marian Kamalen is normally observed on December 8.

Mrs. Nicolasa “Sas” Garrido, who many know as Auntie Sas, provided me with the history of this May celebration.  

Forty years ago, in commemoration of Guam’s Santa Marian Kamalen, or Mother Mary, the Sons and Daughters of Guam Club commissioned a statue of the saint from Spain.  Although they originally wanted to install her in the nearby Santa Rita Church, the Bishop of San Diego believed that Mother Mary belonged with her husband and should have her home at St. Joseph’s Cathedral.  As a result, the Guam community celebrates the Mass of Santa Marian Kamalen at the downtown San Diego Cathedral.

Later, a fiesta for Mother Mary was established in May on the Saturday before Mother’s Day.  It was chosen because May is the month of Mary and because weather in the traditional month of December might be too cold to hold the feast in the SDGC pavilion.  The first May fiesta was in 1976.   That was also the month of the infamous Typhoon Pamela on Guam, Auntie Sas reminded me.  At the time there was some talk that the devastation was due to Guam’s Patron Saint being “taken” in May.  “But of course, that’s not true”, laughed Auntie Sas. 

Because Mother Mary is a saint of Guam and not any particular village, many groups participate in putting the fiesta together.  The food was a combined effort.  The Island Rain ukulele band and Ben “Magalahi” Lizama provided the entertainment.  The timing of the event is also ideal for the Sons and Daughters of Guam Club to show off their Liberation Day Queen candidates.  The young women made the rounds, enjoying the Chamorro cultural experience.  The day ended with a lot of dancing, cha-cha style.  It was a perfect San Diego fiesta day.

Click to read as shown in the PDN.

One of the perks of writing about people and events is that your research involves going to fun places and meeting interesting people.  That was the case recently when I sat down in a San Diego restaurant to have lunch with Robert Santos, San Diego television news personality and fellow Guam islander.

We both walked up to the arranged meeting place at just the same time to enjoy a conversation-slash-interview at a gorgeous Indian restaurant in the Hillcrest neighborhood.  I came away with not just the following article, but an admiration for the very directed way that Robert has built his career; his attention to the things that are important to him; and frankly, what a nice person he is.  He actually got up to feed my meter in the middle of lunch!

Robert would be a good model for our youth in the Marianas to follow.  From our small islands, it’s easy to believe that it is impossible to break into a career in a big mainland city, but Robert’s experience proves otherwise.  At the same time, he is clear about the value of his culture and his desire to participate and help when he can.

Click to enlarge. Article text follows.

TV journalist has a big heart

Keeping up with San Diego news and weather, you are likely to come across Guam’s own Robert Santos.  A veteran reporter, anchor and weathercaster, Santos can be seen weekdays on the ABC 10 News in the early morning hours and again as the Midday Weathercaster from 10 -11am. He projects a warm and professional demeanor.

Many people may recognize Robert Santos from his early days from KGTF to Cable TV to KUAM in the early 1990’s.  In truth his career ambitions began in middle school when he convinced his parents to take him to interview for a job with one of the local news stations.  He was too young to be hired at that point, but he was undeterred.  Santos knew he would have a career in television.

Among his work on Guam was early on as host of the Academic Challenge Bowl and host of Kids Eye on Guam.  Later, he was a news reporter for Cable TV and then for KUAM.  After two years at UOG and a lot of television experience, Santos attended Pepperdine University where he earned a bachelors degree.

A profession in television reporting has taken Robert Santos to work with Oxnard-Ventura (KADY), Salinas-Monterey (KCBA & KION), Los Angeles (KTLA), Las Vegas (KVBC) and Seattle (KOMO).  He has been the recipient of the Associated Press Reporter of the Year award among his colleagues in California, Nevada, Arizona, Hawaii, Washington, New Mexico and Idaho.

This is now his second run at a television spot in San Diego where he enjoys the proximity to family and friends as well as the mild climate.  Currently he is the 10News San Diego weathercaster, pursuing a long-time fascination “since growing up as a child on Guam, where typhoons intrigued him rather than scared him.” according to his bio.

What is especially endearing is Robert’s visibility at many charitable functions.  This year he won a Golden Bell award for his work for the Salvation Army.  He also keeps in touch with his Chamorro roots, attending San Diego cultural events, which is how I happened to meet him.  We were able to visit together during the recent Chamorro Cultural Fest. 

Although his career is now in San Diego, Robert keeps in close touch with the current events on Guam and his friends and family there.  Just recently he won $1,000 for charity in the “Let’s ask America” game show and directed the funds to be sent to the Sanctuary non-profit organization on Guam. 

You can see Robert Santos in action at http://www.10news.com/weather or connect with him on twitter at http://twitter.com/10NewsSantos.

Sometimes I can’t help but brag a bit on our Chamorro culture.  We are a modest people (mamahlao and all that), but we do have a lot to be proud of.  The Che’lu organization is a partner of mine in this regard.  They have been bragging for a long time about the building skills of our ancient latte stone makers, and the advanced sailing technology of the engineers of the Chamorro Sakman canoe in the 18th century.

In this latest article I wanted to point out our participation in a multi-cultural exhibit in the world class museum campus of San Diego’s Balboa Park.  I sat in a cafe before I went to see the exhibit and shared with my server (and anyone who was remotely interested) that I was going to see the Chamorro artifacts in the Museum of Man.

Thanks to the Pacific Daily News for giving this story a nice piece of real estate in their paper, and highlighting the beautiful setting befitting our cultural contribution.

You can click on the pdf of the article to enlarge and read, or see the text following.  Saina Ma’ase for reading.

si Sandy

Someday we may see a Chamorro sakman canoe in the Smithsonian, or a latte stone in the Louvre in Paris.  Today, however, a simple “tunas” and “Chamorro bowline with knot” can be seen at the San Diego Museum of Man as part of its special exhibit, Rites of Passage.

If you have never heard of San Diego’s Museum of Man, you may have heard of its location in Balboa Park.  This concentration of arts, science, and culture institutions is well known for its graceful old-world architecture and blue tiled domes at the edge of the city.  It is a first class campus of museums and venues, and the Museum of Man is one of its centerpieces.

Chamorros are represented in this artifact exhibit because the Chamorro people have been a force in the San Diego community for more than half a century.  When a collection of art and artifacts was gathered for the San Diego Community & Cultural Arts Learning Partnership, it was natural for the Marianas to be included. 

As important as it is for Chamorros to be recognized for their unique history and traditions, it is also important for Chamorros to be seen as a part of the mosaic that makes up American cities like San Diego.  The museum literature states that this exhibit “…affirms the importance of connecting our shared experiences and inspires us to build a stronger community”.  Balboa Park features a Japanese tea garden and a Spanish village; exhibits from the Mayan empire, ancient Egypt, and for now, one that features artifacts of the Chamorro people. 

The Rites of Passage special exhibition at the San Diego Museum of Man will be up until December 8, 2013.  You can see museum hours other information at www.museumofman.org.

Work, pleasure and a little reminiscing mixed last week while I attended the annual Chamorro Easter picnic in Arizona.  I got to cover something interesting for Chamorros, eat good food meet good people, and catch up with some folks I had not seen for decades.

Growing up on Guam, Paul and Liza Merrill were the quintessential high school sweethearts in my eyes, being just a few years younger.  When I heard that they were the source of this huge holiday event, I knew that I would have to go and see it for myself.

With openness and generosity, Liza invited me to not only attend the picnic, but learn about the area’s desire to bring more cultural education to Chamorros there.  Together Liza and Paul bring the community together and make it happen as they have for twelve years now.

Enjoy this story on this year’s Easter picnic.  You can click on the newspaper page photo to enlarge, or read the text following.

Thanks for reading.

This Easter, talk of a Chamorro holiday celebration brought me to Scottsdale Arizona.  There is a large annual Chamorro gathering to celebrate Easter in this city just outside of Phoenix, so being curious; I followed some friends there last weekend.

The Chamorro Easter Picnic celebrated its 12th year this 2013.  It was set, as always, at the expansive Cactus Park with covered pavilions and trees to protect from the desert heat, already significant in late March.  Even before the food was laid out, at least a dozen groups had established themselves in shelters or canopies.  Some flew flags from Guam or Saipan.  The barbecues were fired up and the music was festive.  A couple of vendors of Chamorro crafts set up to offer jewelry or decor for the Chamorro shoppers.

A little after noon a blessing was made to open the thirty-foot long table of Chamorro staples and delicacies.  Seafood was arranged in dishes set on the table in an inflatable pool filled with ice.  For nearly an hour the estimated 500 attendees lined up to fill their plates with red rice, keleguen, eskebeche, barbecue chicken and more.

This upbeat event is coordinated and hosted by Paul and Lisa Laguana Merrill.  The couple has lived in the Scottsdale area of Arizona since they married, soon after graduating from high school on Guam.  Paul and Liza wanted to have an event that brought the somewhat spread out Arizona Chamorro population together once a year. They settled on an Easter picnic, which in the desert has better weather than a Liberation Day celebration in July.  Starting with just five families in 2002, the affair has grown in to a much-anticipated annual gathering.  Liza’s ambitions for the community have grown as well.

Liza Merrill recently founded the non-profit, LINC; Local Islanders Networking in Communities.  With it she plans to bring Chamorro cultural education to the Arizona community.  The state is estimated to be home to about 5,000 people from the Mariana Islands.  This year, the picnic featured a visiting group performing Chamorro dance.  About 30 participated in their prior dance workshop.  Liza also asked picnic goers to fill out a survey about what kind of support they would give to a Chamorro cultural program.  If the response to the dance workshop and performance was any indication, then the community is all for it.

Before the day was done, the kids got to enjoy an egg hunt across the large green field of the park and many competed in the water balloon toss.  There was also a musical chairs competition and the breaking of two piñatas to round out the family activities.  DJ Rodney “Bubbles” Gomba Dela Rosa of Arizona and singer-performer Ben Maga’lahi Lizama from San Diego provided entertainment

As always, familiar faces were everywhere, and new relations were found among the crowd; the food was good and the kids were well entertained. Such is the way Chamorro get-togethers seem to go wherever you may be.  Arizona this Easter was no exception.

It has been such a pleasure to be able to see good local performers as well as visiting artists with ties to Guam and the Marianas right here in San Diego.  This has been mostly due to the efforts of Vern and Shirley Lababit, founders of Hafa Adai Entertainment.  They happen to be very nice people besides.

As they work to put together another Mariana Islands Concert that’s sure to be a hit, it felt like the right time to highlight their work and the mission behind it.  Fun and philanthropy can go together!

The Chamorro network is anchored in the eastern United States by it’s oldest organization, the Guam Society of America.  It has been a source of social connection for people from the Marianas for six decades.

Today, the GSA seeks to grow its membership and serve that membership with additional cultural programs and more scholarship money for Chamorro students on and off the islands.  One of its most important tools has been the internet.  So far its proven to be an effective way for this board driven group to communicate with a larger and younger audience.

You can click on the image below to read the article as it appeared in the PDN, or read the text version that follows.

Buenas All,

si Sandy

It is easy to forget that our Chamorro communities are so far flung across the United States.  In fact, the oldest Chamorro organization in existence is about as far away from the Marianas Islands as you can get, on the east coast, in Washington DC.

The Guam Society of America (GSA) was formed in 1952 as part of the National Conference of State Societies under President Harry Truman.  The NCSS organization provides a non-partisan venue for residents of the greater-Washington DC area to enjoy social and patriotic gatherings with others who have come from their state or territory, according to their website.

Supporting events and scholarships

The GSA organization may be best known for its participation in the Cherry Blossom Festival. This is a signature event for the members of the NCSS that comemorates the United States friendly relations with Japan.  The Guam Society has been one of the most consistent participants in the festival, naming a Cherry Blossom Princess each year for most of the last 60 years, with several candidates going on to the international festival in Japan.

In my conversation with Society president, Mike Blas, he highlighted the groups additional projects which include the Memorial Day and Liberation Day picnics, the annual Chamorro night, the Scholarship fund, and the Roberto L.G. Lizama memorial Golf Tournament which is the yearly scholarship fundraiser.

Not without regard for its proximity to the US government center. The Guam Society hosts an annual congressional reception; perhaps the biggest party of its kind on Capital Hill, to which all members of the Congress and Senate are invited.  The event allows the Guam Society to help keep Guam and its political issues in the awareness of policy makers.  The event is organized in cooperation with Guam’s congressional delegate’s office, and includes a wreath laying ceremony at the tomb of the unknown soldier.

Creating a bright future for Chamorros

Looking forward, the sixty-year-old Guam Society has recently moved to adopt some very modern technologies.  Working with just the volunteer board, the organization has created a new website, has established a facebook and twitter account, and communicates through email as much as possible.  Their goal was to efficiently reach a wider audience.  The efforts not only did that, but also appealed to a younger membership, essential to the Guam Society’s longevity.  They expect their membership numbers to reach 500 this year, doubling what it was just 3 years ago.

President Blas says one of his personal goals is to keep this momentum going.  In addition, the group looks to qualify for more funding in order to support additional scholarship and education programs.  This will include more parterships with Guam.  Both GCC and UOG students are eligible for Guam Society scholarships each year.

One of their primary functions of the Guam Society of America is to foster and perpetuate the Chamorro language, culture and traditions.  To accomplish this, they also hope to bring out more Chamorro artists and scholars to enrich the cultural life of Chamorro residents of the tri-state area.  They will continue to be an important resource for the people of Guam and the Marianas at the opposite end of the United States territory.  You can learn more about GSA’s activities at www.GuamSociety.org.

The last in the Chamorro language series leading up to Chamorro month.  Enjoy some good resources for learning or brushing up on your Chamorro language skills.

You can click on the article image to expand to a readable size or read the text below.

Buenas

si Sandy

In the previous weeks I have shared current efforts to teach the Chamorro language outside of the islands.  While it has been inspiring to learn about these opportunities, obviously many aspiring Chamorro speakers do not have access to study in this type of formal setting.  This sent me on a quest to find the best resources for learning the language on your own.

The start of this investigation was where many of us go when we want to make connections across the miles: Facebook.  I asked the question, “What is the best resource you have found to learn or brush up on your Chamorro language”? I also did my own online searches and inquired from knowledgeable individuals.

The Facebook discussion did not provide any help at first, mostly one guy I’ll call “J” who said I would never learn the real Chamorro because it was essentially gone.   That was not what I wanted to hear.

From my individual inquiries I did get recommendations for two sites, www.LearnChamorro.com, and www.Guampedia.com  (you need to look for “Chamorro” under “Lesson Plans”).

Later, Facebook came back with a recommendation for www.Chamoru.info/dictionary, which is helpful and widely used.  There was also mention of a closed Facebook group dedicated to the use of the Chamorro language.  The discussion here included many of the news and resources that I had seen in other places, including www.Paleric.blogspot.com, and www.minagahet.blogspot.com.

There was also another post from “J” who said my best hope of learning the language was to find a group of old Chamorro speakers at a barbecue and ask them to teach me.  Again, he wasn’t encouraging.

In my own research, I came upon lessons on www.OffIsland.com.  There is also a government site at www.ns.gov.gu that provides an almost overwhelming number of Chamorro cultural resources.  Scrolling down the home page you can find a link to “Learn the Chamorro Language”, which takes you to lists of vocabulary and phrases at www.uog2.uog.edu.lessonz/.

Some of my favorite video resources are the Word of the Day and Chagi Chamorro produced by the Hurao Academy on Guam and available on their YouTube channel, http://www.youtube.com/user/huraoguahan.  I must also mention the most useful dictionary that I have found, the Chamorro-English Dictionary by Topping, Ogo and Dungca, a standard, first published in 1975.

As great as all these resources are, I have to wonder if they alone can really teach you the language.  You have to learn so much about pronunciation and what is common usage, and you just have to get into the habit of speaking it.  Recently, Dr. Robert Underwood wrote an opinion in the PDN entitled, “Preserve the Chamorro language by using it,” and in it he says, “If we are going to create a Chamorro-speaking community, we must have Chamorro language immersion programs…” This is a prominent educator involved in the Chamorro language discussion for three decades.  It occurs to me that these language tools need to work together with actual use of the language.

Back to Facebook, I find a message from a kind stranger I’ll call “D”: “Sandy, I’ll teach you.  Where do you live? Or better yet, am just a phone call away”.   Then “J” again chimes in. As I get ready for another of his discouraging posts, I’m pleased to read his response:  “And THAT is how you learn Chamorro”, he says.  Maybe he has a point after all.

The second article in a series on Chamorro language education is the featured story this week.  Next month is Chamorro month with a Chamorro language theme and it has been interesting to follow conversations about how the Chamorro language may survive; required language in the schools, teaching through related culture instruction, or just plain speaking it every day.

I met a long time San Diego resident who is from Guam and maintains a strong Chamorro identity.  She told me that she hopes Chamorros never lose their language.  “Take the word ‘ma’agoddai’, it is such a Chamorro feeling, and there is no English equivalent”.  She is right.  If we lose our language, we lose the unique expressions of our culture.

Dankulu si Yuus ma’ase to the teachers and students and program writers and policy makers and all supporters of the perpetuation of the Chamorro language.

Click on the image below to view and expand the image.  Feel free to download it for your own use.

What is the meaning of the sinahi?  Why are the orange spondylus beads so special?  If you’ve ever wondered about these artifacts, popularly reproduced to be worn as jewelery, you would have found some answers at a recent presentation that brought archeological science and artists together.

Click on the image below to get to the recent write up on this event, which includes a short video.

The Kutturan Chamoru Foundation is one of those special groups that keeps on giving.  KCF is well known for its dance instruction and performance.  The following story highlights their efforts to perpetuate the Chamorro language through their Ta HITA program.

The Pacific Daily News published story is a large file and you are welcome to download it and share!

As printed in the PDN:

Next month is Chamorro month on Guam.  I learned from Peter Onadera’s column that this year’s theme is, “Learn the Language of Our Elders and Use It Every Day.”  In commemoration, I would like to share some of the resources that off-island folks have to learn or brush up on their Chamorro language skills.

 A long-time effort

It should be noted that this resurgence of the Chamorro language is happening on both ends of the ocean.  I was in middle school when the Guam public school system caught up with the fact that Chamorro wasn’t being learned in the home for the most part.  The Chamorro language program was new, and came shortly after the first designated Chamorro week.  Now the Chamorro cultural arts program is available to all public school children on Guam.  Traditional Chamorro groups who dance and sing and chant in Chamorro are prevalent.  This summer I was able to enroll my youngest son in a Chamorro language immersion program on Guam through the Hurao Academy. 

Then there is the experience of Chamorros who moved to the states as early as the 1950’s.  Their story is about acclimating to life in the mainland.  They wanted to master the American language and customs in order to take advantage of the career and education opportunities available.  Then, as the islands began to bring the culture to the forefront in the 1970s, the stateside Chamorro communities had a similar awareness.  There is a long history of individuals who worked to teach language or the arts.  The traditions of the Catholic Church also kept the Chamorro prayers in use even among those who otherwise spoke little Chamorro.  It is not possible here to chronicle the many who devoted themselves to promoting the Chamorro language over the years, but I would like to highlight the most visible examples today. 

A cultural foundation

The Kutturan Chamoru Foundation (KCF) is a long-standing performance and cultural group in Long Beach, California, and is one of the few who teach the ancient and other Chamorro dances as they are taught on Guam.  The passion of its leaders, Heidi and Joey Quenga, are evident in their continuing commitment to not only serve the youth in their area, but to bring the culture to Chamorro communities across the country, as far away as Washington DC.

 Heidi and Joey Quenga grew up in military families and lived all over the world, but their families spoke Chamorro and maintained Chamorro traditions.  Heidi says that her role as a promoter of the culture began with meeting her mother-in-law, Regina Quenga.  Regina together with Glenn Taitano Bernardo, had founded Kutturan Chamoru Performers (KCP) in 1993 to teach an ensemble to perform community dance, song and chant.  In addition to the choreography, participants were also being exposed to the history and language related to the dances. 

Responding to the needs of the community

Being a part of KCP fulfilled Heidi Quenga’s lifelong desire to share the Chamorro culture with those who had little access to it.  Joey and Heidi stepped into the leadership of the organization in 1998 as COO and Executive Director respectively.  Heidi says, “Over the years, we knew we needed to add more programs because our volunteers were growing up and had significant life changes quickly approaching.”  They expanded their program to include university tours, career guidance and college entrance workshops to serve their young people.  For them, the natural next step was to offer Chamorro language classes.  In 2008, the non-profit Kutturan Chamoru Foundation was created.  In partnership with other community groups and much parent support, the Chamorro language program, “Ta Hita” (Ta Hatsa I Tinigu Antigu) was launched in 2010.

 Now in its 3rd Phase of the 8-10 week “Ta Hita” Chamorro language program, Kutturan Chamoru has sustained 12-15 children ranging from age 2-17 and 10-12 adults. Keith Castro and Tony Lizama are its dedicated volunteer instructors.  Heidi shares that that there have been unforeseen benefits in the addition of the program:

          We have had the pleasure of meeting new people from the community who have shown interest in the language program versus the music and dance aspect of the culture.  Another pleasant surprise is that the interest in learning the language transcends generations.  It would not be uncommon to see a Nana (grandmother) sitting alongside her grandchild. 

Goals and hopes for the future

The goals of KCF are no less than having a Chamorro language class in the local school system. They hope to sustain teaching the language; to hear 3rd and 4th generation Chamorros speaking fluently, reading and writing in Chamorro in the continental US.  Speaking for KCF, Heidi says:

We hope to gain support from educators back home in the Marianas, and have reached out to several. We hope to create a full immersion Chamorro Summer Camp program so that more children from around the continental US can take advantage of the wonderful resources and community support KCF has in the Long Beach/Los Angeles area.

You can contact the Kutturan Chamoru Foundation at www.KutturanChamoru.org or email Heidi@kutturanchamoru.org.

si Sandy

To be continued next week – Grant awarded to support a San Diego Chamorro language program and other resources.