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They're probably pissed because of the US controlling them. They should be ind pendant. And the US needs to GTFO and leave them be.
Sames goes for Hawaii. The US media has done a good job at blacking out the protests the continue fight the Native Hawaiians are having to become a Sovereign State.
You seem confused, in the US context statehood means integration. In the United States a state is what other countries would call a "constituent country", a "department", a "province", etc
Secondly, native Hawaiians make up less than 10% of Hawaii's population and not all native Hawiians support secession, in a democratic society the views of the majority trump an extreme minority. Furthermore, the US Supreme Court ruled that secession is illegal ... it's a mute point.
They're probably pissed because of the US controlling them. They should be ind pendant. And the US needs to GTFO and leave them be.
Sames goes for Hawaii. The US media has done a good job at blacking out the protests the continue fight the Native Hawaiians are having to become a Sovereign State.
In the case of the CNMI, they had the option to vote for independence but instead 78% of the population voted to become a U.S. Territory. The other parts of UN Trust territory that became independent now have per capita incomes that are significantly lower than the CNMI. CNMI income is about $11K a year, Guam is around $20 K. Palau, even with tourism is about $8k, Marshalls and FSM are $2-3K./yr. The U.S. territories are all enormously subsidized by mainland taxpayers. The main complaint that locals have is that they don't like having to follow US laws on the environment, labor, and public corruption.
Geographically, they are located by Japan. In fact, Guam is considered to be the Japanese Hawaii. The Northern Mariana Islands attract their share of Japanese tourists as well. Both compete for the Japanese yen. It is sad that most Americans do not know that much about that area. A lot of information is not taught in US history books. On the other hand, the people out there know a lot about the United States and its history.
Correction Spain did not hand Cuba to the US at the treaty of Paris..they gave Cuba independence. Even though we acquired The Philippines, Guam, and Puerto Rico the US Government also paid 22 million for the territories....Read the history of the Spanish American War and the provisions of the treaty of Paris where peace was concluded
1. CNMI =/= U.S. Territory. There is a little less pull from the feds on a commonwealth. Although with the way the local government has handled issues such as immigration and labor over the last 20 years, it may be time to tighten our relationship with the U.S. (i.e. upgrade to "territory" status).
2. The Japanese are a very remorseful people (sometimes to a fault) and have made it a point to retain a peaceful relationship with the people of the Marianas. Tinian (directly south of Saipan, and my hometown!) was home to the airfield from which the Enola Gay took off and bombed Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The Japanese era left a significant mark on Chamorro culture as it exists today, and Japanese delegations are always returning to the CNMI to commemorate our special history and relationship.
3. The Japanese tourism industry in the CNMI died long before anyone brought it up in this forum. The biggest market as of now is the Chinese market, as most foreign investors are from China or Hong Kong. The last major Japanese establishment was just bought out by Best Sunshine Int'l (Imperial Pacific), the latest Chinese company to invest in Saipan. Koreans and Russians continue to visit but in smaller numbers. Only very few Japanese come nowadays due to many factors such as Japan's economic downturn and Japan Airlines' decision to axe the Saipan-Tokyo route. I honestly don't think there is a chance of reviving the Japanese market to its previous state, although many on Saipan and Tinian still hope to continue this prosperous relationship.
Anyway, unification is a nice thought, but given the geography and the cultural differences (and the roles they play in their respective governments), it might be a while before it happens. If it ever does, at least.
All love though. Guam is a fun place. Sincerely, CNMI native.
In my opinion the distance of these islands from the U.S Mainland is probably one of the reasons why most Mainland Americans don't know about them...Guam and Saipan are popular with Japanese Tourists because they aren't very far from Japan or the rest of Asia.
Quote:
Originally Posted by CurlyFries
It's odd that there's alot of continental Americans that don't even know Guam and Saipan exist yet they're both popular vacation spots for Japanese vacationers.
All people who are born in Guam and Saipan or any of The Marianas Islands are U.S Citizens...The Natives of the Marianas islands are also called Chamorro's and the Native Language is also called Chamorro,but English is widely spoken.
Well Guam is closer to Japan and more affordable than Hawaii,so it's a bargain for Japanese Tourists wanting to fly someplace closer and less expensive and less crowded as well.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Salmonburgher
Well, not exactly. Guam is known in Japan as the poor Japanese person's substitute for Hawaii.
All people who are born in Guam and Saipan or any of The Marianas Islands are U.S Citizens...The Natives of the Marianas islands are also called Chamorro's and the Native Language is also called Chamorro,but English is widely spoken.
"Commonwealth" as used in Puerto Rico and the Northern Mariana Islands has no legal meaning, they are US territories the same as Guam, American Samoa, and the US Virgin Islands. In the case of Puerto Rico it was adopted by the delegates to the 1951 constitutional convention because Congress was leery about the direct translation of Estado Libre Asociado (Associate Free State) because it implied statehood rather than a development of the existing territorial status.
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*Bump*
