Umespipiha i Fino’ CHamoru Among non-fluent Young CHamorus on Guåhan: Exploring language revitalization, ethnolinguistic identity, indigeneity and CHamoru activism amongst non-fluent CHamoru Millennials and Generation Z

Abstract

CHamoru identity is shaped, negotiated, and contested by political, economic, ideological, socio-cultural and historical forces, which has led to a weakened CHamoru ethnolinguistic identity and a language shift towards English. For CHamoru Millennials and Generation Z that lacks a strong ethnolinguistic identity, what the language means for their CHamoru identity is not entirely clear as there has not been a comprehensive study on their conceptualization of CHamoru identity. By analyzing how young CHamorus articulate their CHamoru identity in relation to the CHamoru language, we can understand the processes of CHamoru identity re-articulation and the political, economic, ideological, socio-cultural and historical forces that guided and actively shape the boundaries of the ethnolinguistic identity among CHamoru Millennials and Generation Z, which may provide relevant information for CHamoru language advocates, policy-makers, and teachers. A literature review on the construction of CHamoru identity, indigeneity, language revitalization as well as interviews with fourteen young CHamorus and analysis of CHamoru language usage on social media informs the thesis. The results map out the relationships among the concepts of language and identity to understand the processes of CHamoru identity rearticulation in relation to the language by laying out the various motivating and inhibiting variables that actively influence language learning. The thesis makes recommendations on how to move forward with CHamoru language revitalization.