A look back

Kindly reprint the letter below written by the late justice Ramon Villagomez back in 1976. As you can see, Justice Villlagomez is a true Northern Marianas descent visionary. I have permission to request reprinting of this letter by Justice Villagomez’s son, Angelo Villagomez. Readers can also visit Hafa Gachong: Letters to the Commonwealth to view more of justice Villagomez’s letters.

Thank you and best regards

Diego C. Blanco

US Senate approves Covenant 

By RAMON VILLAGOMEZ
Feb. 27, 1976 

This is a time to rejoice and a time to celebrate. It is a time to laugh and a time to cry. Congratulations to the people of the Marianas for acquiring what they were made to believe they wanted and congratulations to the United States of America for successfully acquiring a new territory; a small territory [that] will support and strengthen its military power and influence in the Pacific world and the Far East. For the people of the Marianas, let us extend a warm congratulation for the many things [that] they can now be proud of.

They can be proud that two-thirds of Tinian, part of Saipan and the whole island north of Saipan now belong to the U.S. military. These lands will be reserved for contingent U.S. military installations and activities. Lord, pray for us.

The people of the Marianas can be proud that they have become a minority out of 220 million people rather than a minority out of 100,000 people.

Similarly, they can be proud for becoming second-class citizens under a strange flag rather than noble citizens under their previous native flag.

I am sure that they cherish more the concept of being inferior to the “mainlanders” than superior to the “district people.” It is common knowledge that the people of the Marianas believe themselves to be superior to the people from other districts of Micronesia and inferior to Americans.

Furthermore, the people of the Marianas can be proud that they are now not represented in their national legislature (U.S. Congress) as they were in the Congress of Micronesia. Whereas, Saipan was the capital of Micronesia, now it is a military stop-over; way out in the Pacific Ocean and only a handful of people ever get to see their great capital, the District of Columbia.

Whereas, the people of the Marianas had priority to any employment before becoming a commonwealth of the U.S., now they do not. Any qualified U.S. citizen is equally entitled to any job in the Marianas as the citizens thereof. The people of the Marianas can be proud of that. It means that many Marianas citizens will get skinned alive when competing for jobs.

However, the people of the Marianas can obviously see something in the commonwealth status [that] is worth more than anything else. They can see money ($). Money has to be the most important and powerful thing for them. It is more important than brotherhood or sisterhood or family relationship. It is more important than love or religion. It is money [that] is breaking up homes and family ties on our small islands. It is greed for money [that] is turning our people cold and bitter. It is greed for money [that] has caused our people to forget who they are, what their identity is, and to beg for commonwealth status. That they can be proud of and be congratulated for.

Nevertheless, it is money [that] our people have been praying for, and it is money [that] they are about to receive. Thanks to Uncle Sam. It is money [that] he has plenty of, and it is money with which he has purchased us. Congratulations!