Trilingual Book Edited by Assistant Director Konstantinakos Published
A trilingual photo-essay book edited by Assistant Director Cyrus Segawa Konstantinakos has just been released. The ABCs of Chamorro: An Alphabetical Journey Through The Culture of the Mariana Islands promotes awareness of the indigenous Chamorro culture of the western Pacific. It combines text with photographs and local artwork to introduce a cultural topic for every letter of the Chamorro alphabet—in three languages: Chamorro, English and Japanese. The book will be sold to tourists (about 90% of whom are Japanese), with revenues supporting donations to local schools, where it will be used as a textbook.
Over 100 local residents contributed to this book. The project was funded by grants from the U.S. Department of Education and the Guam Legislature with additional support from the University of Guam and the Boston University School of Education.
During production, the project was featured in Languages in a Global World: Learning for Better Cultural Understanding, a book published by the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD), and by @SED the alumni magazine of the BU School of Education.
The book has been featured by USA Today, the Pacific Daily News, Guam Daily Post, and the BU School of Education.