Every Sunday at the Homeland Cultural Center in Long Beach, Chamorro families gather, eager to learn more about their heritage.
Chamorros are the native people of the Pacific islands, Guam (U.S. territory), and the Northern Marianas (U.S. commonwealth). Modern Chamorros, both on the islands and in the diaspora, are disconnected from their indigenous culture and language because of centuries of colonization. But Heidi Quenga, cultural practitioner and director of the Kutturan Cultural Foundation, is trying to change that. Ampersand’s Melissa Dueñas has more.