Within the entire Mariana Islands archipelago, July is the month where liberation from enemy occupation by the U.S. forces is hailed. For the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, it’s the 4th of July. For Guam, it’s the 21st of July.
As a practicing CHamoru genealogist, it has become an inherent part my nature to study not only tracing and examining the lines of families, but also the impact of events that affected them and their personal experiences and stories.
In my quest to research more of the CHamoru people that left to places outside of the Mariana Islands, I came across this 2015 article that touched my heart. It touches my heart because I am descendant of survivors of the war in the Pacific. Through my journey in the CHamoru Roots Genealogy Project I can also point out other places where I have discovered people of CHamoru ancestry that have also experienced a degree of trauma and devastations of war: all of Micronesia, Bonin/Ogasawara Islands, Papua New Guinea, and St. Paul Island Alaska. I am sure there will be other places that will surface in the future.
Remember them and our other elder brothers and sisters of the Pacific! They are not are invisible. They are native islanders of the Pacific, where war was brought to them and without a voice.
