UCLA

The writings of Filipino revolutionary Apolinario Mabini, incarcerated in Asan Beach on Guåhan from 1901-1903, continue to have political implications today, as evidenced by Chamorro-led pushback against Filipino-sponsored Mabini memorials in the village of Asan. Much of this debate is centered around differences between Chamorro and Filipino memories about Asan that stem from the U.S. military's containment and disavowal of their cultural connections. Using a combination of archival and oral history analysis, I unpack the persisting political implications of Mabini's incarceration on Chamorro-Filipino historical relations. In centering Chamorro genealogical ties to place and Filipinos' histories of colonization, I argue that restoration of inafa'maolek or mutual relations between Chamorros and Filipinos lies in countering the colonial division of their cultural connections and histories.