Generation gap

In his Veteran’s Day speech, Governor Pedro P. Tenorio recounted some of his childhood experiences during World War II. The first English words he learned while in Camp Susupe, said the Governor, were “Give me candy, Joe.”

Many young CNMI residents do not appreciate the full significance of the Governor’s first English words. Living amid relative plenty (yes, even in this weak local economy), it is easy for many of our young people to take certain things for granted.

But it was not always so. Looking at our Governor’s first English words, we can say: “We have come a long way, baby!”

Unfortunately, some of our misguided young people expect government entitlements. They expect the government to take care of their every need. They want things handed down to them on a silver plate. They want government jobs. They want a higher minimum wage. They want government handouts.

These young people have forgotten our roots. They have forgotten the sacrifices that preceding generations of Chamorros and Carolinians have had to endure on the way to prosperity and economic development.

Taking their cue from liberal American “educators,” many of our youngsters hold our local minimum wage in contempt, naively expecting it to be the same as the United States of America, the richest nation on earth. They complain that our nonresident workers are destitute and underpaid.

Yet they fail to realize just how far we have come from Teno’s childhood days, when he had to beg American soldiers for candy. They fail to recognize the low wages during the Trust Territory days, which was not all that long ago.

“I don’t care what you say, nonresident workers are destitute,” complained a young CNMI resident in an e-mail addressed to me. Destitute? Give me a break.

Compare the present condition of our nonresident workers to the condition of our local workers during the T.T days. Our local people suffered. They were paid a measly 30 cents an hour, if not less.

Just ask our publisher John Del Rosario and other members of his generation. Compared to my generation (Generation X), they had it rough back then.

Right after the war, Teno’s generation probably had it even worse. Our young people should appreciate just how far we have arrived.

And why have we arrived? Why have we come so far? The short answer: because of nonresident labor and market-based wages–because of our local control of immigration and minimum wage, which have made our local people much more prosperous.

Yet, for some strange reason, there are still some of us who want to cry, “Give me candy, Joe. Give me candy, Uncle Sam.” And that’s just unacceptable.

Strictly a personal view. Charles Reyes Jr. is a regular columnist of Saipan Tribune. Mr. Reyes may be reached at charlesraves@hotmail.com