PAKAKA I PACHOT-MU! CHAMORU YU’!: A MESTISA RHETORIC ANALYSIS OF GUAM’S CHAMAOLE NARRATIVES

Abstract

In my project, I investigate identity formations of a specific Mestisa/Mestisu group from Guam, locally known as Chamaole. Chamaoles are defined locally as individuals who are descendants of both native Chamorros and White Americans, and have been identified as one or the other in various social contexts. This research analyzes Chamaole individuals' encounters with identity ambiguity in Guam and the United States. This research deconstructs the various identity formations described in the published poetry of three Chamaole authors from Guam: Jessica Perez-Jackson's "Half Caste," excerpts from Lehua Taitano's A Bell Made of Stones, and Corey Santos' "Chamaoli." Works by these poets primarily document cultural, ancestral, racial, linguistic, and political ambiguities. In addition to conducting a literary analysis of their poems, multiple interviews conducted with the poets over several weeks provide additional data. My reflections on Chamaole identity are included in the study, documenting changes in my understanding of Chamaole identity throughout the stages of the research process. This study draws evidence from layered accounts of poetry, oral narratives, and autobiographical commentary. Interpreting data from layered accounts, this study analyzes strategies that Chamaoles use to navigate and overcome encounters with prejudice and aggression. This study of Chamaole identity formations contributes to both Chamorro Studies and Critical Mixed Race Studies scholarship. Because this project focuses on Chamaole participants from Guam ages 20-40, future research may include intergenerational studies, incorporation of participants from the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), and additional Mestisa/Mestisu Chamorro groups.