War for Guam 2015
Distributed by Third World Newsreel, 545 Eighth Avenue, Suite 550, New York, NY 10018; 212-947-9277
Produced by Frances Negrón-Muntaner, Baltazar B. Aguon, Michael Lujan Bevacqua, Cristine Borja Sumbi, Beni Matías
A film by Frances Negrón-Muntaner
DVD , color and b&w, 57 min.
High School - General Adult
Foreign Policy, Indigenous Peoples, War Crimes, World War II, Documentaries
Date Entered: 04/19/2016
Reviewed by Jeffrey Pearson, University of Michigan Ann ArborThe title of the documentary War for Guam brings to mind two interpretations; what war has meant for the indigenous peoples of the Island in the Pacific, the Chamorro, and the war between Japan and the United States during World War II for control of the island. The title refers to both the people on the island, and the island as a military object with the people subservient to that objective. The film explores how the Chamorro people were victimized by both sides, in different ways, depending on the priorities and objectives of the occupiers.
War for Guam is crafted as a straight ahead history lesson using archival footage, photographs, and interviews with Chamorro witnesses and historical experts. Its power lies in the horrific account of the Japanese occupation with forced labor, internment in concentration camps, mass killings and torture of the Chamorro, and the shameful injustice visited on the Chamorro after the liberation of the island by U.S. forces. The U.S. soldiers were understandably greeted as heroes by the Chamorro, and we witness their disillusion and heartbreak as the U.S. appropriated two thirds of Guam’s land mass for military and recreational purposes. Removed from their land, their homes, left with few resources to make a living, many were forced into poverty.
Ironies are many in the story. Prominent islanders such as Chamorro priest Father Duenas sacrifice their lives to protect a U.S. radioman hiding from the Japanese on the island, only to be dismissed as ungrateful when the Chamorro protest for their land rights. As the island was developed in the 1950’s and 60’s, Guam became a destination vacation spot for Japanese tourists. With few opportunities for work, many young Chamorro men fought in the Vietnam War where Guam had the highest rate of per capita deaths of any country, and those that returned found that more of their ancestral land had been grabbed with little compensation. Though the Chamorro have been granted U.S. citizenship, they are not allowed to vote in Presidential elections.
The documentary ends on a hopeful note as more Chamorro activists attempt to regain their lands, though so far to little effect. It is hoped that this documentary will increase awareness of these injustices, and help correct them.
This film is highly recommended for public and academic libraries and is ideal for courses on imperialism, indigenous human rights, and the history of World War II.