Leialani Wihongi-Santos is CHamoru and was raised on the island of Guam with a distorted view of history. She was taught that the United States "saved" her island from occupation by Imperial Japan. As she's gotten older, Leialani has learned that framing is not entirely true. In some ways, the U.S. military took advantage of the island and the people who live there, sometimes destroying culture and customs that had survived centuries of colonization. Leialani is now determined to understand more of this history from a CHamoru perspective, so she can preserve and teach it to others. In this episode, she turns to her grandpa, Joseph Aflleje-Santos, for answers.

Stay connected with us! E-mail us at inheriting@laiststudios.com to share your questions, feelings, and even your story.

Inheriting is entirely funded by supporters like you. If you want to hear future seasons, go to LAist.com/Inheriting and click on the orange box to donate.

You can also find resources about the historic events covered in each episode and relevant lesson plans from the Asian American Education Project, including the ones below.

Lesson 5.8.1.3 (Grades 3-7) - Poetry on Climate Change: Central Idea
https://asianamericanedu.org/poetry-on-climate-change-central-idea.html

Lesson 5.8.1.2 (Grades 9-12 ) - Pacific Islanders Climate Devastation Poetry
https://asianamericanedu.org/pacific-islanders-climate-devastation-poetry-grades-9-12.html

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