Guam was part of Spain and became part of America after the Spanish-American war. Spain started the war against America and lost Guam.
Legally, America paid Spain $20,000,000 for the ownership of Guam after the war ended.
People of Guam before the war were Spanish or with Spanish blood in them, who were part of Spain. They spoke Spanish with a dialect known as Chamorro (a Spanish/Nicaraguan word). Chamorro dialect is not a native word but actually a Spanish dialect spoken on Guam and the NMI.
The natives in the Mariana Islands (NMI and Guam) were Malayan in origin, were a minority and there were just a few of them. Names like Ayuyu, Taga, Gumataotuo, Taitano, Aguigui and a few more. Furthermore, most of these people are mixed with Spanish blood now and before.
The Marianas people are happy to part of the American family.
The Marianas people are very lucky for its small population to have two representatives in the U.S. Congress. These two representatives should come up with some kind of innovative ideas to work jointly for the benefit of the Mariana Islands and have it approved by the U.S. No need to make it complicated…do a unified approach.
“Unification” as being now contemplated won’t work. There’s too much cultural hang-ups, racism, envy, greed and bias among the people of Guam and the NMI.
Suggestion: Since the Marians Islands were used by America to end World War II, America should help the Marianas in a great economic way so that these two representatives need not request further financial assistance from America.
The following is a suggested project that will produce such economic power that Guam and CNMI can split evenly together on annual revenue of $54 billion:
Building a commercialized Peace Memorial Tower on every state of the union each generating $4 million annually and should be under the control of the two territories.
The following specification is important for the success of such endeavor:
Build a structure for a tall tower and it must be a 1,700 foot-Taga House with a revolving restaurant inside the top cup. Under the top cup, there should be a 300-room hotel. Under it, a 500-office space/room, and further down convention spaces for all kinds of events. The revenue is calculated over $4 million per tower per month…more if we put it on the New York Stock Exchange.
Economic unification is the only way for the future of Guam and the NMI. Let’s do it. What say you?
SERAFIN DELA CRUZ
Former CNMI Senator
