History of the Chamorro Club

Since the 1950's, students from the Mariana Islands of Guam, Saipan, Tinian and Rota have been attending the University of Hawai’i. Not much was known about the academic, social, or cultural activities done by Chamorro students then. However, since the early 1980’s students from the Mariana Islands attending the University of Hawai’i have been organizing informal networks with students from Chaminade and Hawai’i Pacific University along with the community colleges on Oahu. Many social gatherings such as Thanksgiving get-togethers have been very successful.

In 1994, the Mariana Islands students organization at the University of Hawai’i was officially established. There is a strong desire among many students to maintain social-cultural networks within their academic experience. This helps to recognize and legitimize their historical, ethnic, cultural and political concerns as they pursue their education and future careers. Since its establishment in 1994, Dr. Faye Untalan, professor at the School of Public Health, served as its faculty advisor and continues to do so for the present club.

In 1998, the student members of the Marianas club changed the club’s name to Hale' Chamorro, literally meaning, "Chamorro roots". The name appealed to the students who wanted ethnic/cultural identification rather than residential identification. Chamorro is the indigenous native of the Mariana Islands which consists of Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands(CNMI), two separate political jurisdictions of the United States but one island group and culture.

The present club was established in the Fall of 2002 through the initiative of Claire Dela Cruz, who became the club's president. The club had been inactive since the Spring of 1998. Members of the present club have renamed the club to just "Chamorro Club".