It's not just a reaction to the comment on your post about HPV, it's just that I don't like the phrase. I hear it all the time: Guamanian, Rotanese, etc. and it just perpetuates tension among the islands that are already too small to be bothered with petty discrimination. "It's Saipanese for ...." what does that mean figuratively? It's typical of the Saipan-like attitude? So let's define it then. There are a lot of numb skulls around here, but irresponsibility and lack of integrity is neither "Saipanese" or "whatever-ese". And then Glen says: "if you people..." What the hell is that? Who is YOU PEOPLE? People like me who don't automatically trust people like blah, blah, blah drug adminstrations, and blah, blah, blah, departments of soandso? I did get the answers and then I posted them immediately so everyone would know I wasn't hell bent on being against it. I think I have a right to remain apprehensive. I think we all have a right.
i originally posted, "you guys" i then went back to change it to "people" i failed to delete the "you". i posted a follow up stating that it was not meant to come across in a harsh way. And by the way, i was raised in saipan and my nuclear family all live in saipan. I spent all of my schooling from head start to 12 grade in saipan.
even if i did say, "you people", it would have been addressed to all of the people posting comments on the HPV blog. my comments always only addressed the issue at hand.
i was irate about all the torch lighting that was occuring in regards to the vaccine prior to any real research being done into it. it actually reached a point at which if i were a parent i would have feared the shot if all i had was those blog comments to go off of.
You know, I think I've used the word Saipanese, myself. Sort of like I use Ohioan and even Cincinnatian (groan).
I've heard Rotanese a lot. And of course I've hear Guamanian (And probably used that, too.)
So these aren't words? Or they're offensive? I'd never heard that before. To a certain extent, the use of any identification separates us from each other, but it also unites us, because we're all something. (grin)
Well, maybe. I've never heard anyone refer to the people from Tinian, though, by some designation (Tinianese? Tinianite? Tinianan?).
It's just a pet peeve, one that I dislike because I feel like it perpetuates tension between our islands. We are all Chamorro, and speak Chamorro and if one of us makes a stupid mistake then it is a stupid mistake, not a Chamorro mistake or a Saipanese blunder. I may have misread and I'm prone to that, so Glen, it's all cool. This is just one of these things that make me go "oooh, that hurt."
I think what I meant was that in the CNMI when they say they want a "study" it really means they want to put it off for as long as possible...that's all, didn't mean to offend.
But for discussion's sake, in my mind Saipanese doesn't equal Chamorro. For example, I'm from Virginia therefore I'm Virginian, but that doesn't necessarily mean I'm Caucasian. Virginians can be white, black, red or purple, so long as they were born and raised in VA they're Virginians. And it's a label we wear with pride. I think I was using Saipanese in the same vein. But again I didn't mean to offend so next time maybe I'll use Marianian so as to cut down on the "tension among the islands" ;-)
Very funny. It takes a lot to really offend me, so don't worry. Next time just use CNMIan okay! Gloria Estefan once said, "America is my home, Cuba is my heart" or something like that, she said it in Spanish.
7 comments:
I don't thnk he meant that literally.
It's not just a reaction to the comment on your post about HPV, it's just that I don't like the phrase. I hear it all the time: Guamanian, Rotanese, etc. and it just perpetuates tension among the islands that are already too small to be bothered with petty discrimination. "It's Saipanese for ...." what does that mean figuratively? It's typical of the Saipan-like attitude? So let's define it then. There are a lot of numb skulls around here, but irresponsibility and lack of integrity is neither "Saipanese" or "whatever-ese". And then Glen says: "if you people..." What the hell is that? Who is YOU PEOPLE? People like me who don't automatically trust people like blah, blah, blah drug adminstrations, and blah, blah, blah, departments of soandso? I did get the answers and then I posted them immediately so everyone would know I wasn't hell bent on being against it. I think I have a right to remain apprehensive. I think we all have a right.
boni,
i originally posted, "you guys" i then went back to change it to "people" i failed to delete the "you". i posted a follow up stating that it was not meant to come across in a harsh way. And by the way, i was raised in saipan and my nuclear family all live in saipan. I spent all of my schooling from head start to 12 grade in saipan.
even if i did say, "you people", it would have been addressed to all of the people posting comments on the HPV blog. my comments always only addressed the issue at hand.
i was irate about all the torch lighting that was occuring in regards to the vaccine prior to any real research being done into it. it actually reached a point at which if i were a parent i would have feared the shot if all i had was those blog comments to go off of.
glen hunter
Interesting perspective, Boni.
You know, I think I've used the word Saipanese, myself. Sort of like I use Ohioan and even Cincinnatian (groan).
I've heard Rotanese a lot. And of course I've hear Guamanian (And probably used that, too.)
So these aren't words? Or they're offensive? I'd never heard that before. To a certain extent, the use of any identification separates us from each other, but it also unites us, because we're all something. (grin)
Well, maybe. I've never heard anyone refer to the people from Tinian, though, by some designation (Tinianese? Tinianite? Tinianan?).
It's just a pet peeve, one that I dislike because I feel like it perpetuates tension between our islands. We are all Chamorro, and speak Chamorro and if one of us makes a stupid mistake then it is a stupid mistake, not a Chamorro mistake or a Saipanese blunder. I may have misread and I'm prone to that, so Glen, it's all cool. This is just one of these things that make me go "oooh, that hurt."
I think what I meant was that in the CNMI when they say they want a "study" it really means they want to put it off for as long as possible...that's all, didn't mean to offend.
But for discussion's sake, in my mind Saipanese doesn't equal Chamorro. For example, I'm from Virginia therefore I'm Virginian, but that doesn't necessarily mean I'm Caucasian. Virginians can be white, black, red or purple, so long as they were born and raised in VA they're Virginians. And it's a label we wear with pride. I think I was using Saipanese in the same vein. But again I didn't mean to offend so next time maybe I'll use Marianian so as to cut down on the "tension among the islands" ;-)
Very funny. It takes a lot to really offend me, so don't worry. Next time just use CNMIan okay! Gloria Estefan once said, "America is my home, Cuba is my heart" or something like that, she said it in Spanish.
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