Mr. Kelvin Rodeo, in his letter, mentioned the dictionary definition of “resident.” But for us, a resident is someone born here, who has lived all his life here, who owns property here and is a voter. So I apologize if my definition hurt you. This is what I believe it should be.
Yes, we want to further develop this place, but we also want to be a part of it as well. But because some locals misbehave or misconstrue your purpose here, we are all included in your drama quest.
Someone said we are not Chamorros and we are just like you — descendants of outsiders. How can we be just like you when we were born here and lived here all our lives? My mother has Chamorro blood and nonresidents are not born here. Sure some locals are descendants of Filipinos, Spaniards, Germans, Japanese and so on, but that doesn’t mean we’re just like nonresidents.
Yes, we are humans like you, I agree. And like you we want to protect what is ours. “Ours” means what we have been given the right to own and claim under the law.
I don’t think we should claim everything our employer owns just because we worked for his company.
Protect our assets and culture means nonresidents should not be permitted to fish, hunt, make children, get married and take anything from our environment for free. If we go to other places, we are not allowed to do the same — why should we allow you?
I mean getting married is a choice everyone has to make, so is making babies. But for us, our parents have no choice but to live here until they acquire an identity, which they lost during the war.
Our culture is now dominated by other cultures because many teachers, trainers and educators are not from here. We are forced to change our language and our behavior. Locals should have been trained — that, I remember, was the agreement — but instead they were replaced by someone else.
Mr. Rodeo asks why do nonresidents need proof to show that they deserve to stay here. Mr. Rodeo, I’ve lived here almost all my life, and like any other human being, I consider it a threat if I see that more outsiders are going to live with me, especially when they look and talk smarter than me and have more knowledge of how to get rid of me.
Even scarier is when he/she is teaching me what is their rights. Yes, it is okay to dream of a better place to live than your place, but for crying out loud, I don’t want you to turn my place into yours. So, please, go through the same process as everyone else.
I believe most of you started this drama when you started judging locals. My friend, I know you’re smarter than me, but please don’t hate me for stating my opinion. Based on your words, it sounded like since you built roads, airports, hospitals, etc., you’re saying to me to get out, that this land is yours, even though you were paid to do the work here.
I thought you only want to be U.S. citizens, but now, your opinion sounds like you want to live here. Wouldn’t you want to be friends with us since you’re going to live with us?
I wonder how you were treated there that you have all this hateful judgment against my thoughts.
Sadly, I thought that if you want to be part of a group, you should make friends, respect each other and help each other. But many among us would rather fight for power than work as a team. Don’t forget that U.S. citizenship is not the CNMI to give, but the CNMI should have the right to decide who should stay here.
Yes, those born here have the right to become one of us, so I agree they should be residents, but the parents/spouses who are nonresidents should wait for their petitions. They were informed of the consequences.
And yes even though we are descendants of outsiders, I believe in first come first serve.
Is it fair to want to live here? Yes, Mr. Rodeo. Even me sometimes I want to stay in a better house. But to live there I must buy a new house or pay rent and make friends with my new neighbors. Simple. Why make it difficult?
Thank you for your comments. I hope the above explained my thoughts better than the last. And I apologize my thoughts are not to your liking.
WINNIE ATALIG
San Jose, Tinian
