Guam is an island rich in diversity.
Guam is an island of Chamorro culture but woven into it are the many cultures that have helped build our island. We have Filipinos, Japanese, Korean, Chuukese, Palauan, Kosraean, Pohnpeian, American and many others. This mix is what has created that richness in culture in our island that we call home.
There is one young lady who I would like to invite, Bertha Diamond-Konchita. I want to bring her to the table to discuss how we can make this island a better place for us all.
I admire anyone who works hard to build a good life for herself and her family. She is willing to step up and call out for us to work together.
That’s exactly what I’ve been hoping for because the U.S. federal government has done very little to help migrants understand what life on Guam and other U.S. jurisdictions require. After Typhoon Dolphin FEMA said they couldn’t help FAS migrants because of their non-U.S. citizen status. In addition, the AmeriCorps Program kicked out FAS students who could have used that experience who could have used that experience to build a brighter future for themselves.
It was the people of Guam who continued to work with our migrants because they are not getting that help from the United States, or for some, the countries where they come from.
We have many families here that were able to create a good life for themselves. Others aren’t able to do the same. And find themselves at DOC.
And again, we, the people of Guam have had to step in. We have had to keep those who are not abiding by the laws of Guam and hurting people in our community out of our streets. In fact there was a recent kidnapping attempt that made the news. It involved a young Chuukese girl.
My job is to keep her safe.
My job is to keep our island safe for everyone – for the Chamorro people for the Chuukese people, the Japanese people for all the people of Guam, citizens and non-citizens alike.
I hope we can all work together to reach that goal of a safer, better Guam for us and our children.
Thank you, God bless us all and God bless Guam.
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