This is not a statement on how the language has changed or a statement on how it is no longer pure. Neither of these things have much to do with whether or not the language is living or dead. I make this statement because when you look at those speaking the language today, the majority of them are closer to the end of their lives than the beginning. The strength of a language rests not with the elders who may know it the best. The strength of a language rests with the youth and whether or not they speak it and whether or not they will continue to speak it as they get older.
One question we must ask ourselves is why so many children who have been taught Chamorro language in schools have not become fluent in the language. You can say that this is because they do not get enough instruction and do not spend enough time learning. This is true, but it’s not as important as people think. A larger issue that we must consider is what sort of examples do Chamorro youth see around them that would make them think that it is important or valuable to speak Chamorro?
The Chamorro language has gone the way of the native birds on Guam — silenced, almost gone. You have to strain to hear it sometimes, and usually you only hear bits in the forms of “si yu’us ma’ase” or “hafa adai.” Most young people only hear Chamorro in slang or when an elder loses his temper. It is no wonder young people would see learning Chamorro as worthless. And even if you do have elders who speak Chamorro, they don’t speak it to you, so it is no wonder young people today see the Chamorro language as belonging to old people only and not to them.
I am often told that we should not blame the older generations for their decisions in not teaching the language and helping bring it to this point of being close to death. While it is true that they thought what they were doing was the best thing for their children. But for me, one reason why we can blame them and can continue to blame them is because, even though we now know it is good to teach the Chamorro language and keep it alive, people are not working in their homes and their families to make that happen. Why are grandparents who regret not teaching their children Chamorro in the past not speaking it to their grandchildren today?
We blame the youth for not speaking the language or not wanting to learn it, but why should they when our actions make clear the older generations do not want to teach it. And so we continue to kill the language because we are not setting good and strong examples for our youth. With our words (gi fino’ Ingles) we say one thing (gaibali I lenguahi), but with our actions we speak the sad truth in the world around us (taibali i lenguahi). This could all change; even in the course of a generation it could change, but it requires that Chamorros change and that they take small steps in their life to bring the language back.
It is up to us to decide the future of our language, and as with most things, it begins in the home and in the family. Speak Chamorro to your children, your grandchildren, and to any young relatives. Be the strong example that they need to see, share the language with them and remind them that, even if they don’t speak Chamorro yet, the language belongs to them as well.
MICHAEL LUJAN BEVACQUA
Mangilao, Guam
