Growing Up in Malesso'

When we think of the past in terms of Chamoru history, we tend to simplify and flatten it.

I am not immune from this, even when lecturing or teaching about Chamoru history, I have caught myself doing it as well.

For instance, when we look at the ancient past we often times ignore references to castes or classes in Chamoru society prior to colonization by Europeans. 

For me, I don't believe that the representations offers by the early Jesuit missionaries are particularly accurate in terms of describing Chamoru power dynamics.

 But there was definitely divisions in society, but it is so tempting to simple ignore them and act as if all were united prior to Magellan. 

A similar phenomena exists in relation to the pre-World War II era. 

It is very tempting to see that time through the lens of nostalgia and simplicity, as an epoch prior to the complicated times of today.

With so many of our elders telling stories of no crime, unlocked doors, close knit families, everyone having land to work, it is easy to forget that there were still sharp social divisions, especially between those from Hagåtña, the capital and largest village and those from the smaller, farming focused villages. 

This doesn't mean that these divsions were as sharp or even similar to those of the caste system of ancient times, but they existed nonetheless.

In this interview with the late Jose Mata Torres, he brings out some of these divisions in talking about his life growing up in the village of Malesso' in the 1930s. 

He uses the terms ManggiHagåtña and ManggiMalesso', which are less commonly used today to make the distinction. 

Check out the transcript from part of his interview below.

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Jose Måta Torres

Hongga Mo’na

2015

 

I na’ån-hu si Jose Mata Torres. I nanå-hu si Engracia Manalisay Mata, i tatå-hu si Jose Duenas Torres. Håfa ta’lo mås,?

 

Mafañågu yu’ gi Thanksgiving day, 1926, November 25, 1926.

 

Dumångkolo’ Malesso’ si Tåta and I che’lu-ña palao’an.

 

Nu nina’fanmåtto mågi giya Malesso’ sa’ manggiHagåtña enao siha, lao si tata nai, i nanå-ña as Asencion, guaha che’lu-ña Vicente.

 

Måtto mågi Malesso’ ya ha tutuhon nu peskadot, ha tutuhon i guinahå-ña pues alos uttimos, gumefsåga na taotao.

 

Ya in the meantime, i guellå-ku nai, my grandmother, esta dos patgon-ña si tåta and i che’lu-ña as Trudis Barcinas eventually umasagua yan Barcinas.

 

Pues, annai mandikike’ ha’ si nana yan tåta nai, si tåta yan i che’lu-ña Trudis nai, maninagang as Vicente “Maila’ Tan Chong yan såga Malesso’ sa’ hu necessita ayudu.”

 

Pues ayu na måtto i guellå-ku yan i dos na patgon-ña, si tatå-hu yan i che’lu-ña palao’an as Trudis. Pues este na manmañodda’ asaguan-ñiha yan manasagua yan giMalesso’ ha’.

 

Pues, i hinasso-ku nai muma’estro si tata ya guiya ha’ nu manggågånna salåpe’ ya ginen ayu na mamåhan materiåt para guma’ yan mañochocho ham didide’ mås mangge’ na nengkånno’ sa’ guaha salåpe’ para u finahan nai arina para i tittiyas arina yan todu siha nai.

 

Lao måtai gi trentai siette na såkkan annai onse åños ha’ idåt-hu.

 

Pues estague na estoria nai, si tåta and i che’lu-ña as Trudis, mankinenne’ mågi ni guellå-ku.

 

Annai hohoben ha’ este i dos prohimu ya este giya Malesso’ manmañåga ya giMalesso’

asaguan-ñiha.

 

Manhåtsa si tata and nåna guma’ giya Malesso’.

 

Guihi na tiempo un tungo’ ha’ månu matutuhon guihi na sengsong yan un tungo’ ha’ månu na pumåra i sengsong.

 

Lao i meggaiña na taotao ni mangguåguålo’ manhåhånao para i fangguålo’an an på’go manana.

 

Pues ma bibira siha tåtte ya manmaigo’ gi sengsong ha’.

 

Pues, si tata nai muma’estro yan manggågånna kopble sa’ guihi na tiempo tåya’ nu manggågånna nu salåpe’, na i ma’estro ha’ yan ma’estra. Kana’ tåyaya’.

 

Pues, gof håssan lokkue’ mamåmåhan golosina or che’cho’ aproduktin guålo’ sa’ tåya’ salåpe’ Malesso’ åntes.

 

An pon fama’kepble, ma’estro hao osino hånao yan faño’so’, un tungo’ håfa i faño’so’, fama’tinas sine’so’.

 

Ayugue fåhna sa’ guaha iyon-ñiha agent giya Malesso’ i ayu mamåmåhan, mamåmåhan nu sine’so’.

 

Pues, annai måtai si tata nai, sumåga i tihu-hu as Vicente yan manhami ya guiya kuentåyi si tata.

 

Pues kåda råtu manhånao ham ya manmaño’so’ ham.

 

In, hami ti siña in save sa’ hoben yu’ trabiha, ti hu ipe’ niyok, lao hu rikokohi niyok ya guaha na dos sientos, tres sientos na niyok nai.

 

Ya ma ipe’ ayu ya ma soso’so’ pues ma chule’ ya ma tåla’ asta ki ånglo’ pues manmabende.

 

Ayugue unu ha’ na nu na manera na mama’kekepble i taotao, actually dos, an ma’estro hao yan anggen maño’so’ hao.

 

Kana’ tåya’, tåya’ efektos mambebende guihi åntes gi ayu na tiempo.

 

An ti machocho’cho’ hao, ya ti mañoño’so’ hao, tåya’ salåpe’ lao guaha na nu pues guaha ayu

manhuyong nai ya manmamå’tinas sine’so’ para u guaha salåpe’-ñiha.

 

Pues unu gi gaitenda Hagåtña si Tomas, Tomas Espinosa Cruz.

 

Gumaitenda Hågåtña, uhh guini, ya alos uttimos mamåhan truk flatbed para u chuchule’ mågi i fektos ginen Hagåtña.

 

Pues ha tutuhon mamåhan, ha tutuhon mañule’ gollai, golosina para kåda såbalu, para u bende Hagåtña.

 

Pues gumuaha ta’lo ayugue ha’ na gumuaha nu manera na guaha salåpe’ sa’ annai ha tutuhon si

Tun Tomas nu umusa i truk-ña para u loffan i golosina yan gollai para i metkao, un biåhi ha’

na simåna este un såbalu ha’.

 

Pues, hånao ya un nå’i si Tun Tomas gi paingen Bietnes ni fektos ni para u bende.

 

Ti ha fåfåhan ginen hågu, na bebende pues an måtto ayu na sinangåni hao kuånto ha bende na chotda, pat kuånto ha bende na chandiha.

 

Ya estague na kantidå para u nå’i hao tåtte.

 

Pues, ayugue gumuaha, gumuaha chånsa i giMalesso’ na u fanggai salåpe, para u ma fåhan i magågu, i patten i para u ma u’usa gi gima’, and nengkånno’ arina ni para u

fanbuñelos and all that.

 

Pues dos na okasion nai ya bei ripiti este, si Tun Tomas annai mañule’ truk, ya ha loloffan pusible u chule’ i produkton i gualo’ ya u bende un biåhi ha’ gi simåna an såbalu ha’ nai.

 

Ayu unu na nu manera na siña gumaikepble i taotao, i otro I sine’so’.

 

Pues antes di u matutuhon i gera este i dos, anggen ti humotnånåt hao komu ma’estra, nu gumuåguålo’ hao ya ha fafahan si Tun Tomas ya ha kikili para Hagåtña para u

bende yan i sine’so’.

 

Pues, poble Malesso’ lao fa’na’an ti mås poble ki otro lugåt.