NO REST FOR THE AWAKE - MINAGAHET CHAMORRO

Last month I was fortunate enough to be in Denver, Colorado to witness the nomination of Senator Barack Obama for President of the United States of America by the Democratic Party. My presence there was part of a program called the "State Blogger Corps" whereby a grassroots blog from each state and territory of the United States would not just be allowed to attend the Democratic National Convention, but also be given full media access and even a seat on the floor of the convention with your state or territory's delegation. Through my blog " No Rest for the Awake " I covered the convention from the perspective of Chamorro, Guam and US territorial issues. I ended up writing several dozen posts and even had a few other people write guest posts. To this day I am still backposting notes, interviews, funny stories, cute/crazy moments with delegates, bloggers, media people, security and elected officials. In hopes of puting a clear conclusion on this great experience, ...

What I Learned from the DNC #5: Tokenism (this is the fifth in a series of concluding thoughts on my time as the blogger from Guam at the 2008 DNC) ************************** The presence of Guam and other territories at the DNC is a form of tokenism, it is not a gesture of respect or recognition based on necessity or power, but a gesture made to exude the benevolence and grandness of the one making the gesture. In times past the presence or inclusion of certain ethnic groups could be construed as tokenism, empty gestures to include you, which do not recognize you as having any power or standing. Nowadays, especially in this election where “white” people are showing continued quiet, but nonetheless present resistance to voting for a black man, the patchwork of ethnic groups that make up the Democratic party have to be respected and have to be recognized. With Asian American, Native American, Latino American and African American populations playing key roles in whether swing states go b...

What I Learned from the DNC #4: The Insular Empire (this is the fourth in a series of concluding thoughts on my time as the blogger from Guam at the 2008 DNC) *************************** My time at the convention was incredibly frustrating, but it was made easier by the fact that the territories stick together, at least as far as they are aware of each other. I received no access to the DNC, the Democratic officials, or the Obama campaign, despite numerous promises and attempts through multiple channels. The only elected officials who I was provided access to, or were gracious enough to provide me with time for interviews were from the US territories.

What I Learned from the DNC #3: Ocean of Excited Amnesia (this is the third in a series of concluding thoughts on my time as the blogger from Guam at the 2008 DNC) ***************************** To the world outside of the convention the purpose of this massive complicated event is to be a show of force, an articulation of their purpose and destiny to lead the country. Inside the convention, on the one hand, the purpose might seem to be about excitement and “revving up the base.” The convention is where the party gets “fired up and ready to go.” But during my time in Denver, talking to Hillary Clinton supporters, and also interacting with the Guam delegation, the other purpose of the convention, on the other hand appears to be the creation of a mass outbreak of amnesia. The media coverage leading up to Clinton’s speech was obsessed with whether or not the party could “heal,” whether or not the factions could come together for the good of their party. This coverage was naturally irritat...

What I Learned from the DNC #2 Ideology (this is the first in a series of concluding thoughts on my time as the blogger from Guam at the 2008 DNC) *********************** The spirit of the two main American political parties right now are very distinct. Both claim to represent the future of the United States, be the proper, capable, just heirs to this august responsibility. You achieve this feat, this Master Signification by accomplishing the proto-ideological gesture, the naming of who is responsible for the problems of the world. Life is inconsistent, unfair, violent, confusing and ideology is the glue that holds it together in a meaningful way by assigning the blame for its problems to certain figures, groups, events. People or groups attain power not by the solving of problems or the resolving of conflicts, but by being the ones who name those responsible. For the Democrats their task is easy and obvious. Everything is Bush’s fault. It is the fault of those who have been in power ...

What I Learned from the DNC #1: Democrats vs. Republicans (this is the first in a series of concluding thoughts on my time as the blogger from Guam at the 2008 DNC) **************************** For the territories the differences between Democrats and Republicans can be negligible and often boils down to simple politeness or rudeness. If Guam was to seek to become the 51st or 52nd state of the United States, then you would find the foundations of both parties be the same “NO!” but the rhetoric lain atop that foundation very different. One friendly, nicer, more willing to listen, open to nuance, while the other a clear, direct rebuke, like “You are not Americans!” Depending on your perspective this could be something or nothing. It could mean that engaging at the level of national American politics is either pointless or important, or some mixture of the two. For me, it creates the appearance of a far better possibility of working with Democrats instead of Republicans, and this “appeara...