CHamorro Roots: Guam War Survivor Story

_POSTEDBY peskadot on Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Please visit and support the Guam Survivor War Story project (http://www.guamwarsurvivorstory.com).  Over 60 years later after World War II, Congress continues to deny war reparation parity to the people of Guam that suffered under the occupation of the Japanese.

CHamorro Roots: I Manfayi: Who’s Who in Chamorro History Volume II (Hale'-ta), 1997

_POSTEDBY peskadot on Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Volume II contains over 450 names. Themes within Volume II include sports greats, radio ham operators, legislative pioneers, contemporary Chamorro leaders, Chamorro justice system, education, doctoral studies, healing arts, performing arts, and a listing of Chamorro-American Warriors from World War II through Operation Desert Storm (does not include the current Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts).

Here’s an alphabetical listing of these individuals and the sections where you can find their names within the book:

Click here for a complete list!

CHamorro Roots: I Manfayi: Who’s Who in Chamorro History Volume III (Hale'-ta), 2002

_POSTEDBY peskadot on Thursday, May 20, 2010

(Submitted by Fay Castro Mesa. Thanks Fay!)

The Hale`-ta Book Series, is a series of books written and published by the Research, Publication and Training Division  of the Department of Chamorro Affairs.  The publications are intended to document the Chamorro point of view in compliance with Public Laws 20-99 and 21-136 Chapter lV Section 1(a),  which mandated the development of the materials as part of the social studies program for students in all levels - elementary, secondary and post secondary.
 
This Volume III  covers the following people:
 
Alcon, Filamore Palomo
Arriola, Elizabeth Perez
Arroyo, Marian Therese Untalan
Babauta, Jose J.                                         
Barretto, Christopher C.
Baza, Eloise Rivera
Benavente, Enrique Reyes
Bermudes, Elugio Concepcion
Bordallo, Madeleine Zeien
Brooks, Doris Flores
Calvo, Eddie Baza
Calvo, Tomas Anderson
Camacho, Eduardo Garcia
Camacho, Ignacio Rivera
Camacho, Tomas Aguon - Bishop
Carano, Paul
Castro, Richard
Castro, Ronald
Cepeda, Juan Quitano
Corn, Charles Lumen
Cruz, Juan Cruz
Diaz, Ramon V. – Judge
Dollinger, Maria Perez
Dominquez, Frank O Jr.
Driver, Marjorie Osborne Grathwohl
Duenas, David
Duenas, Eduardo Camacho
Duenas, Eduardo Ramirez
Duenas, Elizabeth Casimiro
Espaldon, Ernesto  - Dr.
Flores, George H. P. – Dr.
Flores, Juan Cruz
Flores, Judy Selk
Flores, Philip
Franquez, Francisco Garrido
Franquez, Lawrence Patrick
Gutierrez, Geraldine Torres
Howard, Chris Perez
Iriarte, Leonard Zahnen
Johnston, William G.
Jones, Kenneth T.
Kloppenburg, Earl Edward
Lamorena, Alberto Tomines – Judge
Leon Guerrero, Jose
Lujan, Francisco G.  – Judge
Mailoux, Gordon
Martinez, Glenn
Moylan Francis and Kurt Scott
Onedera, Peter R.
Palting, Paul Dungca
Pangilinan, Marciano Vega,  Sr,
Paulino, Benny M. – General
Perez, Blas Sholing
Perez, Gerald
Quan, Flora Baza
Rabon, Francisco
Roberto, Annie
Rosario, Pedro Taitingfong
Sablan, David
Sablan, Velma
San Agustin, Candido Sanchez
Sanchez, Simon A.
Sanford, Antoinette
Santos, Joaquin
Sgambelluri, Aldofo Pietro
Shimizu, Ambrosio Torres
Skinner, Carlton
Steffy, Rlene Santos
Taijito, Francisco Salas
Tanaka, Tomas Santos
Terlaje, Priscilla June Chaco
Torres, Frank
Unpingco, Raphel Jose Norbert
Untalan, Jose Leon Guerrero
Ysrael, Alfred Curie
 
 
Sports Chapter:
Aflague, Fructuoso San Miquel
Benito, Marie Calvo
Farnum, John Eatman
Gogue, Joey
Guzman, Jose Mendiola
Hattig, Keith
Huynh, Wendy
Jesus, Evelyn Taijito
Klitzkie, Lourdes Palomo
Pangelinan, Joaquin Mafnas
Quitugua, Jose
Rabon, Arthur Franklin
Reyes, William Naputi
Sagisi, Patrick Carlos
Shiroma, Buzz Seiso
Sison, Therese Pereira
Susuico, Antonio Salas
Taitano, Joe
Tavares, Ronald Junior Gogue
Topasna, Ramon Tainatongo
 
(Note: a list of names from Volume II will be posted soon!)

CHamorro Roots: I Manfayi: Who’s Who in Chamorro History Volume I (Hale'-ta Series), 1995

_POSTEDBY peskadot on Saturday, May 15, 2010

(Special Thanks to Elizabeth Martinez Bitanga for donating this book to the CHamorro Roots Genealogy Project archives.)

Department of Chamorro Affairs, Division of Research, Publication and Training Staff

I Manfayi: Who’s Who in Chamorro History Volume I (Hale'-ta Series), 1995. I Manfayi (ee-man-fajee)…those who have wisdom. It describes people who used their knowledge to decide their actions. When someone is said to be fayi, it infers that he or she did or said something that benefited others in some way.

Dr. Katherine Bordallo Aguon is credited with having initiated this first volume of the I Manfayi Hale-ta Series.

Over 62 names appear in Volume I:

Ada, Josef Martinez
Aflague, Vicente Torres
Aguarin
Aguon, Juan Unpingco
Artero, Antonio Cruz
Barcinas, Jesus Cruz
Baza, Ramon Sablan
Blas, Dominga Ogo
Blas, Segundo Duenas
Bordallo, Baltazar Jerome
Bordallo, Paul Joseph
Bordallo, Ricardo Jerome
Butler, Ignacia and Chester
Calvo, Eduardo Torres
Calvo, Oscar Lujan
Camacho, Carlos Garcia
Camacho, Simon Rivera
Castro, Josefa Guzman
Cepeda, Annette Cabrera
Concepcion, Joaquina
Crisostomo, Jesus Meno
Cristobal, Adrian (Nito) Loreto
Cruz, Pedro Guerrero
Duenas, Emeteria Quichocho
Duenas, Jesus Baza
Flores, Joseph
Hineti, Ignacio
Hurao
Johnston, Agueda Iglesias
Kepuha
Leon Guerrero, Jesus Sablan
Leon Guerrero, Manuel Flores
Leon Guerrero, Mariano Rivera
Leon Guerrero, Vicente Baza
Lujan, Frank George
Lujan, Joaquin Flores
Manibusan, Jose Camacho
Martinez, Pedro Pangelinan
Mata'pang
Ogo, Magdalena and Francisco
Palacios, Angela Santos
Palomo, Antonio Manibusan
Palomo, Jose Bernardo Torres
Perez, Atanasio Taitano
Perez, Frank Duenas
Perez, Joaquin Cruz
Reyes, Rosa Aguigui
Sablan, James Taitano
Sablan, Joaquin Flores
Sablan, Ramon Manalisay
Sanchez, Pedro (Doc) Cruz
Shelton, Amanda Guzman
Taitano, Carlos Lizama
Taitano, Carlos Pangelinan
Taitano, Richard Flores
Tenorio, Soledad Pablo
Underwood, Mary Essie
Untalan, Lagrimas Leon Guerrero
White Jesus Leon Guerrero
Won Pat, Antonio Borja
Yamashita, Antonio Carbullido
Zafra, Isabel Perez

CHamorro Roots: Daughters of the Island

_POSTEDBY admin on Saturday, April 17, 2010

 Laura Marie Torres Souder, Ph.D., Daughters of the Island: Contemporary Chamorro Women Organizers on Guam, 2nd Edition, 1992.

 “…This record of the lives of nine Chamorro women, their coping strategies and resolution of personal conflicts, can serve as both inspiration and role model for Chamorro Women attempting to make personal decisions which deal with the contradictions that so often become a source of frustration and lack of fulfillment…”

 
“The meaning given to the contributions and struggles of these women must continuously be re-analyzed as we move towards self-determination as a people. We are challenged as never before about what to do with the land and our rapid alienation from it.  We are faced with the challenge of educating a generation of men and women who must have a sense of respect towards equal partnerships in which the code of machismo or inequality must somehow take a backseat if we are to survive with dignity and with a sense of peoplehood…”

There is very little documented specific history of our Chamorro women, yet they remain the very core of why our Chamorro people and culture remain in existence.  Dr. Souder’s book offers a keen perspective and balance of this oversight and how some Chamorro women have made significant impact on Guam. I hope that this book and the like would inspire others to write more about our Chamorro women! Many excellent articles on our Chamorro women can be also found on www.GuamPedia.com.

The nine Chamorro women listed in this book include:

CHamorro Roots: Celebrating CHamorro Month

_POSTEDBY admin on Sunday, March 21, 2010

 (This interpretive essay was presented on 20 March 2010 at the Discovery Day dinner celebration, sponsored by the "Man Gachong Club," of Washington State. The dinner celebration was held at the Tacoma Sportsman Club, Washington. I have published it as a result of receiving numerous requests for a copy.)

Biba Taotao Tano!

Back home in the Mariana Islands, the month of March is celebrated as Chamorro Month. Tonight and as the Chamorro Community of Washington State, we acknowledge and come together to join in on this celebration. Discovery Day can sometimes bring out a heated debate. Initially, the holiday was labeled as Magellan Day. I’m not here to debate the holiday title, but I would like to share and reflect upon some of our historical time capsules as a refresher and acknowledgement of celebrating this day no matter what we label it. So tonight, I hope not to bore you, but inspire you with a brief history of events of the Chamorro people also known as Taotao Tano (People of the Land).

Many believe that our culture is dying, but I respectfully disagree. I believe our culture is evolving with the everyday changes in life, as with other cultures. Some of our practices are changing just to keep up with today’s world and environment.  I realize many of you have come to join us for a good time tonight, but I think it’s very important that we also reflect back on who we are, where we come from and although we may be distant from home, we must continue to preserve, practice and teach our children our history, customs and heritage as much as we can.

For those of you who do not know me, I am Bernard Punzalan.  If you are not aware, I also run the Chamorro Roots Genealogy Project website: www.chamorroroots.com. It’s a free website to access and currently contains over 168,000 names. This project is part of my chenchu’le (offering) to our people in doing what I can and am able to do as part of preserving and documenting our heritage. So if you are ever researching your family roots, you can visit that website and if the information is not there you can surely contact me and I will you try to trace it.

So with that, I will start at the point with four primary theories of our peoples’ origin.



CHamorro Roots: GuamPedia.com Publishes Transcribed 1823 Vital Statistics of Guam

_POSTEDBY admin on Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Today the GuamPedia.com has published a transcribed Vital Statistics of Guam from 1823. Click on the link below to access the link and text:

http://guampedia.com/1823-guam-vital-statistics-report/

Guampedia, Guam’s Online Encyclopedia, is a community project to create a comprehensive online encyclopedic resource about the history, culture and contemporary issues of Guam.

Guampedia Foundation, Inc. is an independent non-profit organization. The creation of Guampedia was funded through grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities, Guam Preservation Trust, the Bank of Guam, the U.S. Department of the Interior, and other sources. The project was founded by the Guam Humanities Council in 2002. In 2009 a new non-profit organization, Guampedia Foundation, Inc. was incorporated and Guampedia became independent of the Council.

Please support Guampedia with your donations to keep it publicly on line!

CHamorro Roots: Rediscovering Chamorro Culture - Chamorro Chant

_POSTEDBY admin on Wednesday, December 16, 2009

An interview with Leonard Iriarte.

CHamorro Roots: Sanglo: A Chamorro Warrior

_POSTEDBY admin on Sunday, November 22, 2009

CHamorro Roots: Nieves Anderson Punzalan Tongco

_POSTEDBY admin on Tuesday, September 01, 2009

TONGCO, NIEVES "BING" Nieves "Bing" Tongco was born in Guam on August 5, 1927. She grew up amidst World War II and raised her younger siblings (who adorned her with the nickname "Bing"). On January 19, 1947, Bing married Jose Tongco. They settled in San Diego and their home became a focal point for family gatherings. It was a common sight to see a big group enjoying her home-cooked food. Bing had a knack with games particularly mah jong and cards. While playing she would tell stories of the internment camp in Guam, and various tales about her family. She had a generous heart and fierce spirit. Bing would do anything for a loved one and her care was far-reaching. She truly enjoyed being around children. She worked as a teacher's assistant and the kids knew the love of a grandmother under her care. Bing instinctively redefined the word family to suit her vast ability to love. Many people genuinely called her family without needing the claim of blood ties. Bing died peacefully on August 5, 2009, surrounded by family and loved ones. Bing is survived by one brother, three sisters, six children, sixteen grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

CHamorro Roots: Jose San Nicolas Crisostomo: Another Fallen Chamorro Hero

_POSTEDBY admin on Tuesday, August 25, 2009

CHamorro Roots: HR 44 - Guam WW II Loyalty Recognition Act

_POSTEDBY admin on Friday, August 21, 2009

HR Bill 44, known as the “Guam WW II Loyalty Recognition Act,”  provides for compensation to residents (or descendants of deceased residents) of Guam during World War II that were subjected to death, rape, severe personal injury, personal injury, forced labor, forced march, or internment by the Japanese.

CHamorro Roots: About the CHamorro Roots Genealogy Project

_POSTEDBY admin on Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Hale’ CHamoru

The vision of the Chamorro Roots Genealogy Project, Hale’ CHamoru, is to be the premiere portal of Chamorro genealogy, where Chamorros, both in the Marianas and abroad, can have access to a centralized repository of genealogy information. The goal of the project is to contain as much accurate and relevant genealogy information on the Chamorro people of the Mariana Islands.

History of the project

The Chamorro Roots Genealogy Project began in November 2003 and evolved from the Punzalan Project of 1997 located at www.punzalan.net. The genealogy research quest initially began with the ancestors of Bernard Punzalan, the project’s founder, son of Eustaquio Anderson Punzalan (Familian Pansi and Che’) and Rosita Leon Guerrero Cruz (Familian Matias, Jai/Yai and Mafongfong); along with his wife Josephine, daughter of Maria Barbara Garrido Guerrero (Famlian Matias, Matak and Robat) and Joaquin Taitano Manibusan (Familian Le’le).

The Punzalan Network’s website was developed with a content management system backbone, which allowed users to provide input and collaborate on the project’s content. This project was to document and pass on the family roots of Bernard and Josephine to their sons: Brandon, Bryant and Bernard II.

What started out as a family roots project, however, would soon turn into a community wide project for Chamorros.

Read more about About the CHamorro Roots Genealogy Project