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The Seattle metro area is home to one of the largest populations of Chamorro people in the continental USA.

They are indigenous to Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, both territories of the US.

As we wrap up our week of coverage of Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander heritage Month, we wanted to get a deeper understanding of the Chamorro community who call Washington home.

Multimedia journalist Jaelynn Grisso has the story.

- On a bright and sunny day last weekend, upwards of 500 Chamorro folks gathered on a farm outside of Graham, Washington.

People came together with barbecued pork, live music and dancing for Inarajan fiesta, named for both a town in Guam and the town's patron saint, Joseph.

It's a tradition the Leon Guerrero family brought with them from Guam.

- We came here in 1991, and we brought, brought over a small Saint Inarajan.

My son said, "Mom."

"What?"

He said, "Can we have a barbecue?"

Only for us and some of my friends.

I said, "Okay."

So we did a barbecue.

Every time it comes to first week of May, we start barbecuing, and then all of a sudden in the next year, the other year it keeps getting bigger and bigger and bigger.

[singing] Swim through the swordgrass and wipe your sweat and come up to your hips, and swing to the left.

Cha cha back - As part of the festivities, Guma Imahe performed Chamorro dances representing the various periods of the islanders' history, from its ancient period through Spain's colonization to contemporary interpretations.

The Chamorro culture.

It's really, really, I would say diverse.

We are an indigenous people.

We've been, we've had a society for over 4000 years.

So it's pretty much, it's older than the United States.

Until Magellan was making his rounds around the world, he made a stop on Guam.

And then a few years later, it was colonized by Spain for over 300 years.

Over those 300 years, we lost our language.

our language was almost diminished because we weren't allowed to speak our language.

Until, like the late, early 70s, where it's just starting to be taught in the schools again.

And, you know, for our ancestors, you know, my grandfather, my grandmother, they spoke Chamorro.

But my mom, she would speak a little bit of Chamorro to me.

But at the same time, the reasoning is, you know, is you're not really going to get anywhere speaking Chamorro.

[music and singing] But I didn't let that stop me.

You know, because I believe that the language is the heart of every culture and what's it's what makes every culture unique.

Guam became a territory of the United States after the Spanish-American War.

It's largely stayed that way except for a period in World War II, where Japan occupied Guam.

The island was liberated, as Larimer puts it, in 1944, and is still a territory of the U.S.

But for those living in the continental U.S., getting to Guam or the Northern Mariana Islands is difficult and cost prohibitive, making community events like Inarajan Fiesta all the more important.

When they go out there and, not perform, but present you know, our culture, it makes me really, really proud to be who I am.

Our slogan is the images of the past, present and future, and those are what we sing about: the past, the present and the future.

[singing Boonie stomping.

Bonnie stomping In Graham, Jaelynn Grisso, Cascade PBS.

I'm Paris Jackson.

Thank you for watching.

To see our full week of arts and culture coverage, visit CascadePBS.org/TheNewsfeed.