Nationalism in Guam
By: Brandon Dawson
Patriotism is love or devotion towards one’s country. This is contrasted with nationalism, which is the belief that one’s nation is intrinsically better than others, and should be promoted, sometimes at the expense of others.
On July 21, 1990, the Chamorro Nation, or Nasion Chamoru in the Chamorro language, was formed by Angel Leon Guerrero Santos. The Chamorro Nation is a Chamorro nationalist group that seeks, among other things, independence for Guam from the United States. The Chamorro Nation was relatively short lived, but in its time it managed to get the Chamorro Land Trust Act passed in 1992, and it brought discourse surrounding the future of Guam and discussions about decolonization of Guam into the public sphere. The Chamorro Land Trust Act of 1992 created the Chamorro Land Trust Commission, and gave some land back from the government to Chamorro on Guam.
The founding members of the Chamorro Nation
Before the second world war, the only presence the American government had on Guam was a small naval base. On December 7, 1941, Guam was captured the Japanese military in part of a coordinated attack against multiple American and British military bases in the Pacific, most famously Pearl Harbor. After the US had recaptured Guam, they seized 61 percent of the island to build military installations so that Guam could become a buffer to protect the mainland United States against potential threats from Asia. The United States Government has since given back most of the land to the government of Guam, but retains about 28 percent of the land on Guam. The loss of land, and then lack of it for future generations, fueled Chamorro nationalist movements to regain Guam.
However, Pro-Chamorro nationalism in Guam is fairly rare. Most people living in Guam are vehemently pro-America. Every June 21st those on Guam celebrate Liberation Day in commemoration of the invasion and subsequent recapture of Guam by the US military from the Japanese. Those living on Guam tend to be supportive of the US military, if not at least amicable about their presence on the island.