MOCKING THE GI SENGSONG

We're used to thinking of Aniguak as just a section of Hagåtña and today it legally is.

But not so in the old days.

At one time, Aniguak had its own civil officials under the Spanish government. As one can see in the map above, made around 1913, there was actual empty space between Aniguak and Hagåtña in those days and before.

But the separation was not only legal or geographical. It was also social.

Despite the fact that we resent being looked down on for coming from the Marianas, many Chamorros have no problem marking other Chamorros because they come from a different village, island and even social class.

For Chamorros in Hagåtña, where 2/3 of the entire island lived for a lot of the time, everyone on Guam who lived outside of the capital city was GI SENGSONG.

GI means "at" and in this sense "from." Sengsong is from SONGSONG, meaning "village."

Additionally, people could be called after the village or island they were from. Someone from Luta (Rota) was called Gi Lita.

Someone from Yoña was Gi Ye'ña. From Sumay was Gi Simay. And so on.

It's also the case that people from Hagåtña were called by others Gi Hagåtña.

In many cases, people didn't mean any insult at all when calling someone Gi Lita or Gi Simay or what have you. But people from those places could be sensitive and be offended by being called such because, at times, it was meant as a put-down.

People from the rural villages and other islands sometimes felt judged as "lower" in status by Hagåtña people.

In 1911, we see a case where someone from the villages was labeled such, and it was clearly meant as a put-down.

Ana and Manuel had neighboring farms in Yigo, and they would butt heads periodically. Stray cows wandering into the other's fields, for example. Ana was from Hagåtña, and Manuel was from Aniguåk. Even though Aniguåk was literally a five-minute walk from the edge of Hagåtña, the social distance was greater than several hundred yards.

In one verbal argument between the two, Ana said,

"Ai ke puñetero. På'go un gi Aniguåk yo' u na' kieto gi lugåt-ho."

("What a nuisance. Now someone from Aniguak is going to put me in my place.")

"Tatpalo i taotao Aniguåk."

("Aniguak people are useless.")

Manuel said in reply :

"Hågo maolek ni gi Hagåtña; po'lo ha' yo' yan i gi Aniguåk-ho."

("You are good who are from Hagåtña; leave me be and my being from Aniguåk.")

Manuel showed, by his remark, that he was totally comfortable being from Aniguåk.