CHamorus living in the states had two weeks of immersion in the language through the Prugråman Sinipok or adult CHamoru Language and Culture Immersion Program held in California. The program, held at the California State University San Marcos, offered participants a chance to be fully immersed in the CHamoru language and culture. Michael Mendiola Garcia grew up in San Diego, but now lives in Orange County.
It was his first time doing the immersion program. The program ran from July 8 to July 20. He was engaged with learning a lot about CHamoru history and culture around 2016.
He started to practice the culture through food and eventually he dove into language. He took a few online classes with Michael Lujan Bevacqua during the COVID-19 lockdown and continued to take classes when he could. The immersion program allowed Garcia to have the university experience he never had because he got to stay at the dormitory.
It wasn’t just language class it was learning about themselves and the culture through language, he said. Garcia said you’re not going to come out of a two-week program fluent, but they were able to get a strong foundation of the language. “That sets you up to kind of prepare yourself forward and continue it,” he said.
It’s motivated him to attend more classes online instead of before where he would let his busy life make him skip classes. Erin Gums is grateful for the program and the experience. She said it was always a dream to learn the language.
Her mom.