PACIFIC ISLANDER COMMUNITIES
Chapter Overview: Decolonization in the Pacific
Video overview for Chapter Title.
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Is there still a need to fight for decolonization in the Pacific today?
Chapter objectives
- Learn about the history of colonialism in the Pacific, including the different forms of colonialism that operate in the Pacific Islands.
- Understand the process of decolonization and why the fight for sovereignty continues in the Pacific Islands today.
- Explore the importance of sovereignty and self-determination for all people, especially Indigenous communities who continue to resist colonialism.
From the nineteenth century to the mid-twentieth century, the Pacific Islands were colonized by Europe, Japan, and the United States. After World War II, many Pacific Islands began the process of becoming independent countries, hoping to gain sovereignty over their own ways of governance and life. While many Pacific Islands today are considered independent countries, there are some that are still territories of other countries and the US, such as Guam and American Samoa. The fight for decolonization continues, both for true self-governance and cultural resurgence. Focusing on the role of US imperialism in the Pacific Islands, this chapter explores the history of decolonization in the Pacific Islands and the present-day fight for self-determination.
Modules in this chapter
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Module Title Example with 55 Characters Title Label Hug
Module Title Example with 55 Characters Title Label Hug
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Module Title Example with 55 Characters Title Label Hug
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Module Title Example with 55 Characters Title Label Hug
Module Title Example with 55 Characters Title Label Hug
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Chapter Sources
Corntassel, Jeff. Everyday Acts of Resurgence: People, Places, Practices. Daykeeper Press, 2018.
Downes v. Bidwell, 182 U.S. 244 (1901). https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/182/244/#.
Firth, Stewart. “Sovereignty and Independence in the Contemporary Pacific.” The Contemporary Pacific 1, no. 1/2 (1989), 75–76.
Friedman, Hal. Creating an American Lake: United States Imperialism and Strategic Security in the Pacific Basin, 1945-1947. Praeger, 2000.
Hinton, Leanne, and Kenneth Hale, eds. The Green Book of Language Revitalization in Practice. Emerald, 2008.
Heinrichs, Rebeccah, ed. Defending Guam. Hudson Institute, 2024. https://www.hudson.org/national-security-defense/defending-guam.
Lujan, Tihu “Cultivating the future of the CHamoru language,” Guam Daily Post, March 27, 2017. https://www.postguam.com/entertainment/lifestyle/cultivating-the-future-of-the-chamoru-language/article_a9bdec7e-106b-11e7-9de4-c75487e9a7c7.html.
Maclellan, Nic “‘Hijacking Decolonisation’: French Polynesia at the United Nations.,” Inside Story, May 31, 2013. https://insidestory.org.au/hijacking-decolonisation-french-polynesia-at-the-
united-nations/.
Patrick, Stewart. The Sovereignty Wars: Reconciling America with the World. Brookings Institution Press, 2017.
Thiong’o, Ngũgĩ wa. Decolonizing the Mind: The Politics of Language in African Literature. J. Currey and Heinemann Kenya, 1986.
