Migrating Beyond the Mattingan: Chamoru Diasporic Routes, Indigenous Identities, and Public Exhibitions

Abstract

This dissertation demonstrates how Chamoru history is rooted in mobility, yet waves of colonization within the Mariana Islands have also heavily dictated the ways and places our people move and migrate. I utilize my theoretical concept, Chamoru diasporic routes, to examine Chamoru mobility in relation to colonialism and the community building that takes place in the continental United States through archival research, testimonies, creative writings, interviews, museum exhibitions, and participant observations. I apply a long-range view of Chamoru migration, beginning with examples predating colonial powers in the Marianas and moving into the present day, where we continue to move and expand our world. Throughout this project, I argue that Chamoru diasporic routes are characterized by a crucial truth: colonialism has and continues to play a major role in the mobility of Chamorus. As a concept, Chamoru diasporic routes also recognizes how Chamorus in 2021 actively stay rooted in their home islands despite intergenerational decisions to move away from, or conditions that may have forced them to relocate, such as the continued militarization of the Marianas. Despite this distance, we continue to build communities in new geographic and cultural spaces. While the concept of Chamoru diasporic routes helps analyze how colonial pathways shape mobilities, it also reveals how we continue to express and celebrate our island ancestry, especially within Chamoru-run festivals. This project considers the role and importance of how our diasporic communities are connected to those living in the Mariana Islands and the types of relationships we maintain with one another.