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Celebrating women pioneers of Guam Editor’s note: For Mes CHamoru and Women’s History Month, we’re featuring profiles of some notable people of Guam.
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Congress
Cecilia Cruz Bamba (1934-1986) was a community organizer, senator, businesswoman and mother of ten whose legacy is manifested in her involvement in numerous civic organizations that remain active today. She is remembered most notably for championing the cause of war reparations for the CHamoru people, becoming the first CHamoru woman to testify before Congress and argue for recognition of Japanese wartime atrocities. Bamba worked tirelessly to obtain just compensation for lands taken from the CHamoru people after the war. As a result of her efforts, an additional $37 million was awarded to people who lost their land.
This month in history On March 7, 1931, the first election for members of the advisory Guam Congress was called by Naval Governor Root to replace the old appointed Congress with a bicameral body. Election was held March 7. However, in the election of 1933, only about half of the 1931 electorate bothered to register. Twelve of the congressional seats were not contested and had to be filled by appointment.
Rosa Aguigui Reyes Rosa Aguigui Reyes Rosa Aguigui Reyes First CHamoru Rosa Aguigui Reyes Rosa Aguigui Reyes woman elected to Rosa Aguigui Reyes the Guam Rosa Aguigui Reyes Congress Rosa Aguigui Reyes Rosa Aguigui Rosa Aguigui Reyes Reyes Rosa Aguigui Reyes (1915-2007) is Rosa Aguigui Reyes distinguished as being the first woman elected to the Guam Congress, in 1946. The Guam Congress largely was a formal advisory body that didn’t have any specific powers under the island’s military government administered by the United States Navy. Until Reyes’ election, though, all the members of the Guam Congress were men. Her election made her a pioneer in Guam’s political scene and opened the door for other women to become engaged in positions of political leadership. After serving one term she became one of the first students at the newly opened College of Guam, and in 1954 received an associate’s degree in education at the college, being part of its first graduating class.
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On March 6, 1521, Ferdinand Magellan, who was circumnavigating the world under the auspices of the Crown of Spain, made the first recorded visit to Guam by a European. Magellan began his voyage with five ships and about 270 crewmen representing nine nationalities. The ships were the Concepcion, the Victoria, the Trinidad, the San Antonio, and the Santiago. Only the Concepcion, the Victoria, and the Trinidad reached Guam. Only the Victoria completed the circumnavigation of the earth. The Santiago and the San Antonio were lost along the coast of South America, the Concepcion was burned and the Trinidad was lost at sea.
