Husband and wife John Collier and Laura Thompson started the Institute of Ethnic Affairs in 1945 as a nonprofit organization whose purpose was to search for solutions to problems within and between white and colored races, cultural minority groups, and dependent peoples at home and abroad. The Institute’s goal was to recommend administrative changes requiring governmental action.
Institute of Ethnic Affairs Read Post »
United States Naval Captain Willis W. Bradley (1884 – 1954), governor of Guam from 1929 to 1931, attempted to make a series of changes in the way the island was governed. Upon arriving in Guam he used the 1929 Annual Report from the previous Naval governor to recommend to US Congress that CHamorus be granted US citizenship.
Governor Willis W. Bradley Read Post »
Francisco B. Leon Guerrero (1897 – 1974), also known as “Mr. Organic Act,” was known for his groundbreaking role in advancing the cause of American citizenship for the people of Guam. If there is one person responsible for the attainment of US citizenship by the people of Guam, it is FB Leon Guerrero.
Francisco B. Leon Guerrero Read Post »
First American spy in Micronesia. Earl Hancock “Pete” Ellis, was a US Marine Corps lieutenant colonel and was the first American spy to penetrate Japanese-held Micronesia in 1923.
Earl Hancock “Pete” Ellis Read Post »
The people of the Mariana Islands archipelago, collectively known as CHamorus, call as their homeland an area in the Pacific comprising 15 islands with a total land area of less than 400 square miles. The history of the CHamoru people dates back 3,000 to 3,500 years, when seafaring peoples migrated from Island Southeast Asia and settled in the Marianas.
CHamorus: A People Divided Read Post »
Captain Henry Glass (1844–1908), a rear admiral in the United States Navy, is remembered in Guam for his role in the bloodless capture of the island in the Spanish-American War. He was also a veteran of the American Civil War.
Captain Henry Glass Read Post »
Captain Henry Glass’ bloodless seizure of Guam on 20-21 June 1898, his quick departure without establishing an American take-over government, and even the tears of the last Spanish governor – Juan Marina – who was overwhelmed with the kindness of Lieutenant William Braunersreuther for not looking at the letter Marina penned to his wife as he and other Spanish officers were taken away to Glass’ ship in a sudden downpour, are all part of the complex historical and contemporary consequences following this commencement of the early American period of Guam history.
Early American Period has Profound Implications Read Post »
Colonialism is a process of usurping an existing order or orders of meaning for a territory or a people, and replacing them with a new order which is defined by the colonizer at that order’s apex. The intended result is that the colonizer will from then on be understood as the source of the colonial world’s order, and the source of any potential progress.
American-Style Colonialism Read Post »
The composition of the Guam Hymn was greatly influenced by the socio-cultural and political history of pre-World War II Guam during the Naval Era. It was a time when the island was administered by Naval governors and the speaking and writing of the CHamoru language was discouraged.
Guam Hymn / Fanohge CHamoru Read Post »
As a result of America’s victory in the Spanish-American War, Spain sold Guam to the United States in 1898. Before long, it was determined that the US Navy would administer Guam.
English and Chamorro Language Policies Read Post »
