Pakaka I Pachot-Mu! CHamoru Yu’! A Mestisa Rhetoric Analysis of Guam’s Chamaole Narratives
By Arielle Lowe
University of Hawai`i at Manoa and University of Guam
Abstract: In this project, I investigate identity formations of a specific Mestisa/ Mestisu group from Guam, known as Chamaole. Chamaoles are defined locally as descendants of both native Chamorros and White Americans. This research analyzes Chamaole individuals' encounters with identity ambiguity in Guam and the United States. This research deconstructs the published poetry of Chamaole authors: Jessica Perez-Jackson, Lehua M. Taitano, and Corey Santos. These poets primarily discuss racial, cultural, ancestral, linguistic, and political ambiguities. Interviews conducted with these poets provide additional data. Interpreting data from layered accounts, this study analyzes strategies Chamaoles use to navigate and overcome race-based conflicts and nurture a sense of belonging. In the context of Marianas history, I problematize race-based prejudice and institutional racism as an imported cultural worldview, which can be healed through observing our indigenous Chamoru values of family, kinship, and community.
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