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Your right...Since Puerto Rico is the Largest in Area and Population out of all the U.S Territories it does overshadow the smaller U.S Territories.
I have visited Guam and lived there for a few years in the past,so i'm very familiar with the Island and it's Culture and People.
English is widely spoken in Guam,but another great difference between Guam and Puerto Rico is The Native Chamorro(Chamoru) People of Guam only make up around 37% of the population on the island,while Puerto Ricans are probably more than 90% of the population of Puerto Rico...The Native Chamorro's are a minority in Guam and in The Northern Mariana Islands.
The people in Guam also elected it's first "female Governor Lou Leon Guerrero" and "first gay Lieutenant Governor Josh Tenorio".
Here's an interesting video from youtube below that I think you might find interesting.
It would be a real pleasure to talk about Guam with someone with firsthand experience like you. I believe that what's happening in Puerto Rico tends to overshadow what's really going on in the rest of the territories in political, social and economic terms. We Puerto Ricans must be aware that the other territories share similar problems. Puerto Rico is not struggling alone.
The first thing that gets my attention about Guam is that English is widely spoken as well as their native language Chamorro in comparison to Puerto Rico, where Spanish is the main language and most residents resent having to learn English for fear of losing the culture.
I just know that in my 12 years living in the states, I have not lost "ni un pelo" of my Puerto Rican heritage. Just the opposite... my mind has broaden and I consider myself acculturated. Assimilation means that the person embraces 100% the host culture and forgets the original. That's not going to happen to Puerto Ricans. Acculturation, which is how I define my experience, means that the person has embraced aspects of both cultures (both the host and the native) and mixes them into one. Learning English is crucial to acculturate successfully.
Here's an interesting video from youtube below that I think you might find interesting.
About the video, I saw some people of light skin but I'm not sure if they are native Guamanians. I mean, Guamanians are a racial mix like Puerto Ricans, so I don't know. Anyway, my curiosity comes about how would Guamanians receive someone from the mainland as the head of a local government agency or in a political position, let's say a mainlander working as a state legislator.
I don't know if you read one of my posts titled #JuliaGoHome where I mention the anti-American sentiment of many in Puerto Rico against mainlanders in local jobs.
To summarize it, the former Secretary of the Puerto Rico Department of Education, Julia Beatrice Keleher, is a white American from Philadelphia. She arrived to Puerto Rico in 2007 and was working with the agency, behind the scenes, before her appointment as a Secretary in 2016. I wish you could hear her Spanish... so clear and with Puerto Rican accent... that's very difficult for a foreigner to get the country's accent. Not even my English has standard American accent and I have been in the states for 12 years.
The Puerto Rico Department of Education is plagued with many problems similar to some inner city school districts in the US, and Keleher brought many great ideas from the states to reform the system. Puerto Ricans didn't like her, the leftist unions made her job miserable, her detractors ran a campaign on social media under the hashtag #JuliaGoHome, which was xenophobic at its core, and some other things. She suddenly resigned on April of this year. I believe she was the right leader to reform the public schools, but islanders resist changes that are not familiar to them, specially if they come from a mainlander. There is an implied rule (extraofficial and illegal) that you have to be a native Puerto Rican to work over there.
About the video, I saw some people of light skin but I'm not sure if they are native Guamanians. I mean, Guamanians are a racial mix like Puerto Ricans, so I don't know. Anyway, my curiosity comes about how would Guamanians receive someone from the mainland as the head of a local government agency or in a political position, let's say a mainlander working as a state legislator.
I don't know if you read one of my posts titled #JuliaGoHome where I mention the anti-American sentiment of many in Puerto Rico against mainlanders in local jobs.
To summarize it, the former Secretary of the Puerto Rico Department of Education, Julia Beatrice Keleher, is a white American from Philadelphia. She arrived to Puerto Rico in 2007 and was working with the agency, behind the scenes, before her appointment as a Secretary in 2016. I wish you could hear her Spanish... so clear and with Puerto Rican accent... that's very difficult for a foreigner to get the country's accent. Not even my English has standard American accent and I have been in the states for 12 years.
The Puerto Rico Department of Education is plagued with many problems similar to some inner city school districts in the US, and Keleher brought many great ideas from the states to reform the system. Puerto Ricans didn't like her, the leftist unions made her job miserable, her detractors ran a campaign on social media under the hashtag #JuliaGoHome, which was xenophobic at its core, and some other things. She suddenly resigned on April of this year. I believe she was the right leader to reform the public schools, but islanders resist changes that are not familiar to them, specially if they come from a mainlander. There is an implied rule (extraofficial and illegal) that you have to be a native Puerto Rican to work over there.
Is that the case also in Guam?
I believe that White Americans make up a much larger % of the population in Guam than in Puerto Rico. Madeleine Bordallo was a White woman born in Minnesota yet was elected to represent Guam in Congress for 8 terms, clearly they accepted her.
I believe that White Americans make up a much larger % of the population in Guam than in Puerto Rico. Madeleine Bordallo was a White woman born in Minnesota yet was elected to represent Guam in Congress for 8 terms, clearly they accepted her.
I'm reading about her. Her husband, Ricardo Bordallo, was born in Guam and that's her tie to the territory. In comparison, Julia Keleher was born in Pennsylvania and has no marital or blood ties to any Puerto Rican... to my best knowledge.
In the video you've previously seen....Yes the majority are Native Guamanians or Chamorro's who were on stage.
Mainlanders/Statesiders have been working in The Government of Guam for many years... Former Congresswoman Madeline Bordallo is originally from Minnesota and remained in office for many years,and I believe their is a Senator from the Mainland named Kelly Marsh Taitano,and also Chief Justice Katherine Maraman of the Supreme Court of Guam who is also from the Mainland,and these are just a few names that I know,but i'm sure their are more Mainlanders who do work in The Government in Guam.
I have not read your post titled #JuliaGoHome,but the Mainlanders who work in Guam are usually welcomed.
Guam has it's own issues too which are kinda different from Puerto Rico,since The Native Chamorro's are a minority in their own island,while Puerto Ricans are still the Majority in Puerto Rico.
Guam also attracts more immigrants to that small island,especially since it's America's Closest Territory to Asia.
Here is another interesting video of the 35th Guam Legislature Inaugural Ceremony which was held in January 2019...The beginning of the video is quiet.
About the video, I saw some people of light skin but I'm not sure if they are native Guamanians. I mean, Guamanians are a racial mix like Puerto Ricans, so I don't know. Anyway, my curiosity comes about how would Guamanians receive someone from the mainland as the head of a local government agency or in a political position, let's say a mainlander working as a state legislator.
I don't know if you read one of my posts titled #JuliaGoHome where I mention the anti-American sentiment of many in Puerto Rico against mainlanders in local jobs.
To summarize it, the former Secretary of the Puerto Rico Department of Education, Julia Beatrice Keleher, is a white American from Philadelphia. She arrived to Puerto Rico in 2007 and was working with the agency, behind the scenes, before her appointment as a Secretary in 2016. I wish you could hear her Spanish... so clear and with Puerto Rican accent... that's very difficult for a foreigner to get the country's accent. Not even my English has standard American accent and I have been in the states for 12 years.
The Puerto Rico Department of Education is plagued with many problems similar to some inner city school districts in the US, and Keleher brought many great ideas from the states to reform the system. Puerto Ricans didn't like her, the leftist unions made her job miserable, her detractors ran a campaign on social media under the hashtag #JuliaGoHome, which was xenophobic at its core, and some other things. She suddenly resigned on April of this year. I believe she was the right leader to reform the public schools, but islanders resist changes that are not familiar to them, specially if they come from a mainlander. There is an implied rule (extraofficial and illegal) that you have to be a native Puerto Rican to work over there.
I spent 3 days in Guam a few years ago, and I absolutely loved it. The locals are hands down the most friendly people I have ever met. Even road manners. We rented some scooters that were slower than dirt, so we rode on the shoulders of the road totally off the travel lane, expecting drivers to pass us. Even though we were totally out of the lane, no one would pass us until we waved them by. I have never seen such friendly drivers anywhere!
Guam makes me think of what Hawaii must have been in the 1950s. Two lane roads everywhere, not over built, very laid back, etc.
Some of the most gorgeous sunsets I've ever seen anywhere. A few pics from my visit, and I can't wait to return.
Last edited by PITairport; 06-02-2019 at 12:24 PM..
Reason: Grammar
I've spent a few weeks on Guam and generally really enjoy myself there. I've primarily stayed in Tumon (Pacific Star Hotel, Sheraton, Hilton, etc.), but have also stayed a bit more inland at the Leo Palace Resort. I enjoy that folks speak English, the food is pretty good, and the water scene is simply breathtaking. But given that round trip tickets to Guam from Hawaii generally cost about $2,600, I only go there on official business.
It's very much in the same bracket. Congress has authority over the District's government (as with territories) and when the Republicans control Congress they regularly overturn laws passed by the DC Council and impose legislation on the District. It's a very colonial relationship.
Sort of, the indigenous people are called Chamorros. They make up about 40% of the population.
DC is a Federal District. All American entities except states are territories of one sort or another. All states and territories are headed up by a Governor except for DC, where the Mayor performs the functions of Governor of the District in addition to being Mayor of Washington. He/she is the only chief executive to not hold the title of Governor.
The fact that most people don't consider the District to be a territory, does not alter the fact that it indeed is one.
It is very strange how people refuse to acknowledge that the United States has colonies. These are territories acquired by the US. during its war with Spain in 1898. They were declared UNINCORPORATED TERRITORIES meaning that they were not put on the road for statehood.
Can this change? Yes it can however in 122 years it hasn’t.
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