A Borrowed Land - by Peter R Onedera

Book Synopsis

A Borrowed Land tells the untold stories of Guam's Nikkei--people of Japanese descent--before, during, and after World War II. As the descendant of an issei, or firstgeneration immigrant, Peter R. Onedera chronicles the Nikkei's experiences in Guam from their arrival to their assimilation into the island's life and culture, their hardship and resilience during the war, and the struggles they endured after. Onedera interweaves both historical and personal accounts to document how heritage and history shape personal and collective identity. The story also unveils the complexities of Onedera's own healing, as he explores his CHamoruJapanese heritage and reveals the discrimination he and other Nikkei experienced in postwar Guam.

About the Author

Peter R. Onedera first began writing plays that focused on issues confronting the CHamoru people. He produced and staged many of his works from one-acts, to musicals, dramas, tragedies, comedies, situational scenarios, historical accounts, and social challenges. In total, he has written 75 plays, 45 of which he produced, directed, and staged. He brought his work to Saipan, Carson City, San Diego, Honolulu, and the Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture (FESTPAC) in the Solomon Islands. He has also hosted a radio talk show program titled Prugråman i Halaihai at Public Radio KPRG-FM station and wrote a column entitled CHetton Galaide' for the Pacific Daily News for several years. This bi-monthly column appeared in CHamoru in print with the English translation simultaneously published on the newspaper's website. He has written other books including Guam's Place Names for the Guam Humanities Council and two volumes of poetry--Visions of a CHamoru and Taimanu na Ini. He is also an educator, interpreter/translator, storyteller, lecturer, puppeteer, panel presenter, guest speaker, and civic leader, and he is often referred to as an Indigenous literary activist. He earned a master's degree in Micronesian Studies at the University of Guam after he also wrote and defended his thesis in the CHamoru language, a first for the university and for the region of Micronesia. In 2015, the Guam Council on the Arts and Humanities awarded him the distinction of Master Storyteller.