NO REST FOR THE AWAKE - MINAGAHET CHAMORRO

What does it mean to live in a place called the “tip of America’s spear?” This is something that Guam has been called frequently in recent decades, whether by politicians, military commanders or think tanks. It is a nickname defined by the strategic value of Guam to the United States. If one imagines the US as a warrior facing Asia, there are a long line of bases that extend west across the Pacific, almost like the shaft of a long weapon. Guam, as the westernmost US base, is like the tip. Something brandished against potential threats on the continent. Because of Guam’s location and its military value, we who call it home are used to both wars and rumors of wars. In recent years there has been increasing tension in the region between the United States and its potential rivals, whether it be Russia, North Korea and China. As such, Guam appears in news reports, in strategic studies and in the speeches of admirals as something that the US will use against others or as something that m...

The final book in the "Real Faces" trilogy, which focuses on documenting the stories of Chamorro World War II survivors is finally here. I am happy to see it come to completion, I've been assisting with this project for several years now and it has been a very heartwarming experience. For so much of the past few decades the recounting and retelling of Guam's World War II story has been focused on the United States, their role in expelling the Japanese and ending the occupation. As a result, even when Chamorros were doing the commemorating, they were often times excluding or minimizing their own stories, their own beliefs, perceptions, and lessons, for the sake of aligning their tales and memories with a more patriotic and American-supremacist narrative. I am thankful to see that shift in recent decades, and thankful if my work, research and writing has played some role in making that happen. ********************* "Legacies Beyond Faces" by Michael Luj...

In response to the confusion and anxiety on the island following Donald Trump's electoral college victory over Hillary Clinton last month, I decided to organize Teach-In on what Trump's reign might mean for Guam. I was expecting a small crowd of maybe 20 or 30 students. In truth, we had more than 70 people attend, with most of them staying almost an hour past the end time to keep asking questions and discussing their concerns. The Teach-In was so successful that I would like to have a monthly teach-in based on relevant issues in the community. The next one that I'm planning is on war reparations scheduled tentatively for January 5th. Stay tuned for more information. *************************** Trump Teach-In at UOG Calls for Independent Political Status by Bruce Lloyd The Pacific Island Times December 6, 2016 In the spirit of the anti-Vietnam War teach-ins that informed opposition to that war in the 1960s, members of the Guam Commission on Decolonization Tuesd...