PPJC's Eyewitness Series

The Insular Empire America’s Pacific Frontier

A sneak preview of portions of a major new film documentary Followed by a discussion with... Amy Robinson Co-Director/Associate Producer Hope Cristobal Victoria-Lola Leon-Guerrero Famoksaiyan activists Famoksaiyan translates to either “the place or time of nurturing” or “the time to paddle forward and move ahead.” It is a grassroots network of activists, scholars, students, community leaders, and artists who seek to push a progressive political, economic, and social agenda for Chamorus (the indigenous people of the Mariana Islands) and their communities at the local, national, and international levels, through the promotion of the work of decolonization and cultural/historical revitalization in their politics, creative endeavors, and everyday interactions. The Insular Empire: America’s Pacific Frontier is a documentary film-in-progress about America at its westernmost limits, the Mariana Islands of the western Pacific Ocean. Six thousand miles from the U.S. mainland, the Marianas, which include the U.S. Territory of Guam and the U.S. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), have played a crucial role in American history and national security over the past century. Yet most Americans know nothing about them or about the indigenous communities who call them home. The Insular Empire will change this. The Insular Empire will let a broad American and Pacific audience know that U.S. citizenship for the Chamoru and Carolinian communities of the Marianas is not complete citizenship. U.S. citizens on Guam may have their citizenship revoked by an Act of Congress. Both “insular areas” lack voting representation in the U.S. Congress, and the CNMI lacks any representation at all. Despite this, the federal government maintains a remarkable degree of control over the islands' laws and economic resources. The Chamorus of Guam have not yet achieved self-determination.  Young people from the Mariana Islands are fighting and dying for the United States but cannot vote for its President. These are indigenous rights issues. They are civil rights issues. They are human rights issues. But they must be made visible before they can be addressed. Tuesday, June 12 7:30 p.m. Fellowship Hall, First Baptist Church 305 N. California (at Bryant), Palo Alto $5 - $10 suggested donation Wheelchair accessible Peninsula Peace and Justice Center www.PeaceandJustice.org 650.326.8837