Serial Article
| DOI |
10.23791/581927 |
| URL |
https://pacific-geographies.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/PG58_1927.pdf |
Full Title
|
Pacific Geographies |
| Publisher (01) |
Association of Pacific Studies |
| Country of publication |
Germany
(DE)
|
|
ISSN
|
2196-1468 |
| Product Form |
Printed Journal
(JB)
|
|
ISSN
|
2199-9104 |
| Product Form |
Online Journal
(JD)
|
| Journal Issue Number |
58 |
| Journal Issue Date (YYYY) |
2022 |
| Title |
“Deep in their hearts they still wanna come back” – Sonsorolese people in motion and the implications on culture and identity |
|
By (author)
(A01)
|
Stephanie Walda-Mandel |
| Affiliation |
Übersee-Museum Bremen, Stiftung öffentlichen Rechts, Sachgebietsleitung Ozeanien und Amerikas, Bahnh |
| Number of Pages |
9 |
| First Page |
19 |
| Last Page |
27 |
| Language of text |
English
(eng)
|
| Publication Date (YYYY) |
2022 |
Abstract
Main description
(01)
|
The island of Sonsorol, one of the Soutwhest Islands of the Palauan archipelago, is located about 340 kilometers south of
the main Palauan islands in western Micronesia. Its unique culture and language, which the islanders have developed far away
from the rest of Palau, set them apart from the main Palauan population, since they are linguistically and culturally related
to the people from the outer islands of Yap and the Caroline Islands. At the same time, their isolated location leads to heavy
migration to other Pacific Islands such as Saipan, Hawai’i or even to the US mainland. In the past, the people of the Southwest
Islands already set out for other island groups with their outrigger boats, but today this happens with a different motivation
and in larger numbers. However, despite large spatial distance, their transnational family networks retain their importance
even when the Sonsorolese chain migration movements lead to cultural and social transformations both on the home island and
in the Sonsorolese communities in the diaspora, which also have an impact on their identity. To preserve their cultural heritage
in the context of migration and globalization, cultural revitalisation projects play a significant role in people’s lives.
|
|
Account Management
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