"JUAN SAN NICOLAS". NO, I AM NOT SPANISH

When I was a child, my mom and dad told me stories of my great grand-parents (people I never met in my life). My great grandmother from my dad’s side was said to be a slender, dark-skinned woman with thick black hair. Her most distinctive feature, however was a pair of bright green eyes, an aberration to the dark-brown eyed majority. Her name was Esperanza Castro, born sometime in the 19th century on the island of Guam. 

If you asked me where my ancestors came from, I could not provide you with an accurate answer. In colonial terms, you can say that my great grandparents were considered mestizos. Unfortunately, the moment in time in which Spanish blood entered my genealogy is unknown to me, my parents, and my grandparents. When the Americans made the island a territory in 1898 all aspects of Guamanian society changed. The Spanish were expelled, English was made the official language of business, and the natives were subject to the Americanization of their culture.

Although I cannot tell you when my ancestors came to the island and flirted amongst the natives, I can give you a picture of where my lineage can be traced. From this Spanish map of the 16th century, I traced a route from Acapulcco, Mexico to Guam to Manila, Philippines and back to Mexico. This route is commonly referred to as the Manila Galleon Trade Route. The route lasted from the year 1565 to 1815 and it served as the primary route for Spanish traders. Exotic goods were acquired in the Philippines, and transferred to Mexico where they were later shipped to Spain. It was also in the year 1565 that Miguel Lopez de Legazpi claimed Guam for the Spanish. Since then Guam was a resting stop for Spanish Galleons en route to the Philippines. Even though Guam played an accessory role to the Spanish empire, it was a place that experienced war and assimilation under a Spanish colonial government. It is during this era of the Spanish empire that I believe my ancestors originated. That seems to be the case for all my family names: Arriola, Blas, Toves, Cruz, Castro and San Nicolas. 

My ancestry was shaped significantly by a Spanish colonial tradition, yet my culture, manner of speech and way of life are American. And yes, Guamanians are U.S. citizens.