Figure 1.-Thanks to the Americans, the Chomorros on Guam were a rare places in Asia or Oceania with a public school system before World War II. Here we see a school group in 1914. The boys look to be about 6-10 years old. Interestingly, the Jaoanese also supported public education, but with the idea of supressing the local culture and to a substantial extent repacing the Chamorro people.

The indigenous population of the Marianas were the Chamorros. A Chamorro author writes, "We are the descendents of the first group of Austronesians to move eastward into Oceania, populating our archipelago long before others would reach island groups east of Micronesia. We were master navigators, matrilineal, and, in 1521, Magellan's first Pacific contact." 【Aguon, p. 36.】 Very little is know about early Chamorro history. Some sources estimate that the per-colonial population exceeded 100,000 people, but this is difficult to confirm. The Spanish ruled the Marianas, including Guam, for 300 years. They Christianized the Chamorros, but other than that did nothing with the islands. To more effectively control the population, the Spanish forcibly relocated most of the Chomorros to Guam where most lived at the time of World War II. Is at this point the Chamoros become separated from north to south. As a result of European diseases and Spanish mistreatment, the population was only about 20,000 at the time of World War II. The United States seized Guam from Spain during the Spanish-American War (1898-99). It was a useful coaling station before the United States Navy switched to oil. The U.S. Navy with an appointed governor administered the island for 40 years. About 90 percent of the islanders were Chamorros. Half of population lived in the capital city of Agana. 【Polomo, Island, p. 134.】 The northern islands (Saipan, Rota, and Tinian were acquired by Germany and then transferred to Japan as a result of World War I. Guam was administered by the U.S. Navy which resisted giving the Chamorros U.S. citizenship or the development of representative government. This is a fair criticism. Modern American scholars are critical of this. 【Herman】 All two often scholars like Herman with woke orientations, present only one side of issues involving the United States. What Herman says in his article is correct, but he notably avoids the whole story leaving out many important factors. First it was not common at the time for colonial powers to foster representative government. Actually the United States was doing that in the more important Philippine Islands. Second, the Americans made no effort to suppress Chamorro culture. The population enjoyed religious and cultural freedom. Third, the American administration protected Chamorro property rights, Four, the Chamoros enjoyed freedom of expression and the press which was unusual for the colonial possessions of other countries. Fifth, the Americans made important improvement in infrastructure. Sixth, the economy improved under American rule, much to the benefit of the Chmorro people. Seventh , the Americans founded a free public school system which included Chamorro teachers. The Chamoros were some of the very few people in Asia and the Pacific that had access to a free public school system. Now what Herman does in his article is all to standard for what we see from modern woke scholars--condemning the United states by comparing it to utopia and 21st century standards--an impossible standard for any country to meet. And ignoring the many positive features of American administration. It was certainly not perfect, but was far superior to what we see elsewhere in Asia and Oceania at the time.

Pre-colonial History

The indigenous population of the Marianas were the Chamorros. A Chamorro author writes, "We are the descendents of the first group of Austronesians to move eastward into Oceania, populating our archipelago long before others would reach island groups east of Micronesia. We were master navigators, matrilineal, and, in 1521, Magellan's first Pacific contact." 【Aguon, p. 36.】 Very little is know about early Chamorro history. The Chamorros are related to the Austronesian-speaking peoples of the Philippines, eastern Indonesia, Taiwanese aborigines, and the Caroline Islands, especially the outer islands of Yap. One DNA study confirms connections with eastern Indonesia. 【Erediano】 There is archeological evidence of the Chamorros in the Marianas dating back 3,500 years to 1500 BC. A parucularly notable dite is Ritidian Cave on Saipan. According to one author, "Ritidian is one of the earliest human settlements in the remote Pacific islands and preponderance of evidence lends credence to a transoceanic migration theory— the longest ocean-crossing by any group of people during their time 3,500 years ago." 【Zotomayor】 They were clearly master seafarers. The Narianas is located a huge distance friom the major islands of the Pacific including thev Philppinrs and Indonesia. They were also skilled craftsmen producing intricate weaving and beautifully decorated pottery. Some sources estimate that the per-colonial population exceeded 100,000 people, but this is difficult to confirm.

Spanish Era (1667-1899)

The Spanish ruled the Marianas, including Guam, for 300 years. Magellen was the first European to desctibe the islands (1521). He claimed them for Spain. The Spanish were not impressed with the Chamorros, and naned the islands, the Islas de las Ladrones (thieves). Spain did not officially become part of the Spanish Empire for more than a century (1667). Spanish rule were a disaster forvthe Chamorros. Scholars estimate that the Chamorro people suffered by the introduction of European diseases and societal changes. The Spanish-Chamorro Wars were also devestating. To more effectively control the population, the Spanish forcibly relocated most of the Chamorros to Guam where most lived at the time of World War II. The Spanish settled the Chmorros in supervised parishes on Guam. The populatiion may have declined to as little as 1,000 (by 1800). The Spanish Christianized the Chamorros as part of parish life. Spanish soldiers and civilians settled in the Marianas. Thus almost all Chamarros tioday have some Spanish ancestry. At the turn-of the 20th century, the Chamorros become separated from north to south. Initially they were divided between the United states and Germany, but as a result of World War I, the League of Nations assigned the Northern Marianas and other Pacuific islands to Japan as a mandated territory.

German Era (Northern Marianas, 1899-1915)

Spain lost the Philippines islands in the Spanish–American War (1898). The Americans also seized Guam. The northern Marianas were left in Spanish hands as well as the Carolines and Pelew Islands--amounting to some 6,000 islands over a huge ocean area. This was not a rich area and thus administration of these islnds were a drain on the weakened Spanish economy. The rising German Empire on the otherb hand was hungry for colonies, frustrated that other Euroopean countries had akreasy colonized much of Africa, Asia, and Ocania. The result was the German-Spanish Treaty (1899). Germany paid 837,500 German gold marks. The Northern Marianas and these other Central Pacific islands were incorporated into the larger German Protectorate of New Guinea.

Japanese Era (Northern Marianas, 1915-44))

Japan correctly assessed the outcome of World War I and joined the Allies. (They would chatrospphically incorectly assess the out come of Wotld War II.) Their major interest in both wars was territorial expnsion. The Allies sseized seized all of Germany's colonial possessions in Africa, China, and Oceania (Micronesia). In Oceania, Britain/Ayustralia seized the southern islands. Japan seized the northern islands, including the Northern Marianas. Under the terms of the World War I peace settlement (Versailles Treaty) the status of Germany's colonies were changed. They became League of Nation trusteeships. The League assigned the northern islands including the Northern Marianas ss the Class C South Seas Mandate to Japan. Japan used them as a source of tropical products they had to import. They promoted Japanese colonization to develop a sugar industry. Many of the colonists were not from the Home Islands, buh rather Okinawa, Korea, and Taiwan. The Japanese did not respect Chamorro property rights. Their coloniAl policy was to replace or Jaoaninize the population. They deported some of the Chamorro population. They establishb a public chool system wuth this goal in mind.

The American Era (Guam, 1898- )

As a result of European diseases and Spanish mistreatment, the population was only about 20,000 at the time of World War II. The United States seized Guam from Spain during the Spanish-American War (1898-99). It was a useful coaling station before the United States Navy switched to oil. The U.S. Navy with an appointed governor administered the island for 40 years. About 90 percent of the islanders were Chamorros. Half of population lived in the capital city of Agana. 【Polomo, Island, p. 134.】 The northern islands (Saipan, Rota, and Tinian were acquired by Germany and then transferred to Japan as a result of World War I. Guam was administered by the U.S. Navy which resisted giving the Chamorros U.S. citizenship or the development of representative government. This is a fair criticism. Modern American scholars are critical of this. 【Herman】 All two often scholars like Herman with woke orientations, present only one side of issues involving the United States. What Herman says in his article is correct, but he notably avoids the whole story leaving out many important factors. First it was not common at the time for colonial powers to foster representative government. Actually the United States was doing that in the more important Philippine Islands. Second, the Americans made no effort to suppress Chamorro culture. The population enjoyed religious and cultural freedom. Third, the American administration protected Chamorro property rights, Four, the Chamoros enjoyed freedom of expression and the press which was unusual for the colonial possessions of other countries. Fifth, the Americans made important improvement in infrastructure. Sixth, the economy improved under American rule, much to the benefit of the Chmorro people. Seventh, the Americans founded a free public school system which included Chamorro teachers. The Chamoros were some of the very few people in Asia and the Pacific that had access to a free public school system. Now what Herman does in his article is all to standard for what we see from modern woke scholars--condemning the United states by comparing it to utopia and 21st century standards--an impossible standard for any country to meet. And ignoring the many positive features of American administration. It was certainly not perfect, but was far superior to what we see elsewhere in Asia and Oceania at the time. Notice that Herman and other critics do not compare the American administration of Guam with the Spanish, German and Japanese colonial administration, only with the utopian ideal.

Sources

Aguon, Julian. The Fire This Time: Essays of Life Under US Occupation (Tokyo: Blue Ocean Press, 2006).

Erediano, Emmanuel T. "Ancient Chamorros may have come from Indonesia, researchers say". Marianas Variety News & Views (June 2022).

Herman, Doug. "A brief, 500-year history of Guam," Smithsonian (August 15, 2017).

Palomo, Tony. An Island in Agony (Guam: self-published, 1984). Polomo was a child during the Japanese occupation and provides a graphic account of how the Chamorros suffered at the hands of the Japanese.

Zotomayor, Alexie. "3,500 yeats of Chamorro history," Guam Sunday Post (April 10, 2016).

Created: 2:19 AM 12/27/2021
Spell checjked: 10:45 PM 1/17/2024
Last updated: 10:47 PM 1/18/2024