YOU KNOW YOU'RE CHAMORRO WHEN....

You pick a trait, often embarrassing, seen in someone else, and make it his or her nickname.

Like the poor guy who had larger-than-normal ears.  So guess what he was called?  Josen Talanga.  Talanga=ears.

Or feisty Tan Maria.  For all her fearlessness, the woman lost her eyesight in her old age.  Still, she walked with a cane all over the island and went on her business as if she had complete vision.  She was "better-known-as" Marian Båtchet.  Båtchet=blind.

en.wikipedia.com

Or up in Saipan, dear old Ton Jose used to work for the light company during Japanese times.  Denki is Japanese for electric light.  Never to his face, he was called Ton Josen Denki.

This is how some family nicknames got started.  The personal nickname gets applied to all of his or her descendants.