Master Thesis | Guam, Where America´s Colonization Begins | by Timon Verschoor | August 2011
Diverse activities are reinventing traditions, using the past selectively for contemporary purposes, namely to enrich and manipulate the present. The purpose of these activities is the preservation of the Chamorro cultural heritage. The American presence is contesting the Chamorro identification process through influencing the Chamorro cultural heritage. Although this is opposed by diverse activities, it is more complex. It seems that the interest in the contemporary Chamorro cultural heritage is not in an active way present among many Chamorros. A colonization of the mind is present which needs to be turned around to a decolonization for the sake of the Chamorro cultural heritage. But is this possible, and how? The colonization of the mind makes the Chamorros accustomed to the American lifestyle which directly influences the Chamorro lifestyle in a negative way. A decolonization of the mind can come into existence and therefore the Chamorros need to be aware of how it is endangered by the way they are living. They need to think the unthought and consciously take control of the glocalization processes. It is always important to look at all these processes from within the theoretical framework of agency and structure. No globalization, glocalization or creolization process has ultimate agency. The Chamorros have agency which makes them able to pursue their goals. Only their agency is strongly decreased by the combination of those processes and the impaired political structure of Guam. Without the control, especially political, the U.S. can continue influencing the Chamorro cultural heritage like they did through the imperial effects of law. The control of the glocalization processes is the key. For the Chamorros want the best of both worlds. For it seems that the Chamorros want to save their cultural heritage in the context of an American Guam. The U.S. brought, as informants told me, a lot of good things to Guam. So glocalization and creolization seems to be the only option which is always everywhere the only option in this globalized world. Some informants said that becoming part of the Federal States of Micronesia is the solution. Although there are probably a few different solutions which will lead to a political autonomy to reach the goal of the preservation of their cultural heritage without losing the positive aspects of the presence of the U.S. For this to happen there need to be at least two changes. First, Guam´s political structure needs to be autonomous so that they have the control, as far as possible, over the glocalization processes. Secondly, the interest in the contemporary Chamorro cultural heritage needs to be increased. In my opinion this cannot fully succeed without a political autonomy. The government of - 62 -