Guamanian

Chamorro

Chamorro people (1915)
Total population
(177,000)
Regions with significant populations
Guam, Northern Mariana Islands
Languages
Chamorro and English
Religion
Christianity (mostly Roman Catholic)
Related ethnic groups
Other Austronesian people and Micronesians

The Chamorro people are the indigenous peoples of the Mariana Islands; politically divided between the United States territory of Guam and the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in Micronesia. Today, significant Chamorro populations also exist in several U.S. states including Hawaii, California, Washington, Texas, Tennessee, Oregon, and Nevada. According to the 2000 Census, approximately 65,000 people of Chamorro ancestry live on Guam and another 19,000 live in the Northern Marianas. Another 93,000 live outside the Marianas in Hawaii and the West Coast of the United States. The Chamorros are primarily Austronesian, but many also have European, East Asian and Filipino ancestry.

The Chamorro language is included in the Malayo-Polynesian subgroup of the Austronesian family. Because Guam was colonized by Spain for over 300 years, many words derive from the Spanish language. The traditional Chamorro number system was replaced by Spanish numbers. Chamorro is often spoken in many homes, but is becoming less common. However, there has been a resurgence of interest in reviving the language, and all public schools on both Guam and The Northern Mariana Islands are now required by law to teach the Chamorro language as part of the elementary, middle, and high school curriculum. The most said phrase in Chamorro is, "Hafa Adai," which means "Hello" in English.