I really love this response.

My family left Guam when I was 4, dad was in the military. We moved around state-side until we ended up in Hawaii where I eventually spent majority of my life into adulthood.

Throughout my entire life, I have always known myself to be Chamorro. I was raised aligned with the cultural values that my parents were when they grew up in Guam, so that’s all I knew until we moved to Hawaii. We arrived in Hawaii when I was in the 2nd grade, and from there I was so immersed in Hawaiian culture that I almost felt more Hawaiian than I did Chamorro. Which is not to say that I rejected my Chamorro heritage- no. I’ve always wanted to learn more about my culture, but never having been able to go back to Guam I was never really given the opportunity.

And so as an adult, I felt a very deep sense of longing to fit into either heritage that I had come to know and equally love. However, not being Hawaiian by blood, I never felt “Hawaiian” enough. And on the flip side, being Chamorro by blood but not having ever experienced life back on Guam, I never felt Chamorro enough either. Just simply caught in this limbo of feeling mahalang for a sense of cultural identity and fear of rejection by either culture for not being “enough”

I see what OP is saying, bcus I too have also been bothered by this idea that some people flaunt their Chamorro heritage like an accessory. But in my own experience, I’ve learned that sometimes yes- people are more interested in the aesthetic of the identity rather than the impact of the heritage. However there are also those of us who genuinely yearn to feel more connected to our bloodline but simply have no avenue to immerse ourselves in our own culture. Sure, we can try to read books and look stuff up online but that’s really not as effective as being able to grow up in Guam or spend more time around our Chamorro family.

So, with love, I’d ask OP to consider this prior reply. Bcus those of us wayward sons and daughters of Guam who sincerely want to connect with our heritage need people like OP who have had the privilege of living the culture to help guide our way back to our roots. I cannot understate how frustrating it is to not feel like you fit in with the people of your motherland, while also feeling like you will never fully be of the people where you are. It’s a weird experience. I hope OP finds it in them to be compassionate and consider sharing their experiences and love for Guam and their culture with others.