One potential solution can be found at P.C. These numbers have left many concerned for the future of the Chamorro language on Guam. vi Additionally, very few of those estimated 25,827 Chamorro speakers were under the age of 18-only 2,394. A Deeper Look at Chamorro, the Language of Guam’s Original InhabitantsĮven though it’s one of Guam’s official languages, only a minority of Guam’s residents speak Chamorro at home-an estimated 17.8%. We’ll also throw in a few common Chamorro phrases you’ll likely hear on the island. Now that you have a better sense of the diversity of languages spoken on Guam, let’s take a closer look at the Chamorro language. Both places were colonized by the Spanish, and it’s believed that both also share common ancient ancestors. However, it was the large influx of Filipino workers in the wake of World War II that gave Filipinos a significant foothold on Guam. The people of the Philippines share a number of commonalities with the people of Guam. The only population larger is those who identify as Chamorro-40.3% of Guam residents. In fact, Filipinos are the second-largest ethnic group on Guam, making up about 24.5% of the population. iiiĪs you can see from the numbers, Guam has a significant population who trace their roots to the Philippines. Asian languages include Chinese, Japanese, Korean, languages of Southeast Asia such as Vietnamese and Thai, Dravidian languages of India, such as Malayalam, Tamil, and Telugu, and the Turkic languages.Pacific Island languages include Carolinian, Chamorro, Chuukese, Hawaiian, Indonesian, Malay, Palau, Ponapean, Samoan, Tongan, other Micronesian languages, and other Polynesian languages.Philippine languages include Tagalog, Bikol, Bisayan, Sebuano, Ilocano, Pampangan, and Pangasinan.
Census Bureau data shows that a majority of the population speaks a language other than English at home:īy the way, if you’re curious how the Census Bureau defines Philippine, Pacific Island, and Asian languages: territory, you might expect that English would be the most widespread language spoken at home. What Languages Are Spoken in Guam?īecause Guam is a U.S. In fact, when you look at census data, you’ll begin to get a glimpse of the diverse ethnic backgrounds of the people of Guam. Let’s take a closer look at the numbers.
We’ll dive into that in the next section.Īdditionally, due to immigrants from the Philippines, Asia, and other Pacific Islands, there are many languages besides English and Chamorro spoken in homes across the island. The island was claimed by Spain in 1565, ceded to the U.S. in 1898 as a result of the Spanish-American War, and occupied by the Japanese during World War II. All of these events significantly impacted the Chamorro language.
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However, the two official languages of Guam don’t tell the full story of Guam’s long history-or the numerous ethnic groups who have made their home in Guam over the years.
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