{"id":221144,"date":"2016-02-18T06:01:12","date_gmt":"2016-02-17T20:01:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/?p=221144"},"modified":"2016-02-18T06:01:12","modified_gmt":"2016-02-17T20:01:12","slug":"promoting-chamorro-culture-through-shirts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/promoting-chamorro-culture-through-shirts\/","title":{"rendered":"Promoting Chamorro culture through shirts"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Julian<\/a>
Julian Hofschneider, right, poses with his wife Margarita Decena Hofschneider in their booth at the Tinian Hot Pepper Festival last weekend at Kammer Beach grounds in Tinian. (Jon Perez)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

KAMMER BEACH, Tinian\u2014Julian Hofschneider is using his years of experience as a former educator in keeping Chamorro culture alive\u2014albeit with a twist.<\/p>\n

Chamorro is the language and culture of the people from the Mariana Islands, the CNMI\u2014Saipan, Tinian, Rota, and the Northern Islands\u2014and Guam.<\/p>\n

The former principal, with the help of his brother and other relatives, combined his love of promoting the Chamorro language and T-shirt making through Yunga Designs. Yunga, pronounced dzunga, means to draw or sketch.<\/p>\n

\u201cPreserving the Chamorro language and culture\u2026 a design at a time,\u201d is the slogan that Yunga Designs is promoting.<\/p>\n

Hofschneider was among the local businessesmen that had a booth in last weekend\u2019s Annual Tinian Hot Pepper Festival. He also performed with his band, The Trio, with Nikita Mendiola and Arlan Agadar.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe began with the Chamorro logic \u201cTaya Guaha\u201d that means no problem. After it came out, people are asking me \u2018when are you going to make the next one?\u2019 So it became a series,\u201d said Hofschneider.<\/p>\n

He was a former principal at the Tinian Elementary School for seven years before heading Tinian Junior and Senior High School for another three.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want to preserve the Chamorro language and culture with humor on the side. We started with a really low profile back then but people loved the designs so we came out with new ones,\u201d added Hofschneider, whose clothing line began in the 2007 San Jose Fiesta.<\/p>\n

Their designs feature any of the islands in the Marianas chain, island warriors, Chamorro saying, anything that show the island lifestyle.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll our shirts represent the Marianas as we also want to help the island artists who are helping us in coming up with new designs. After the Chamorro Logic series, I\u2019m also thinking of creating another series to add diversity,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe also have the R.E.D. design or Remember Everyone Deployed, which became popular among those who are in the service or has a relative in the military and the Talayeru for the fishermen.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hofschneider said that they could also ship orders and those interested just need to visit their Facebook page, YungaDesigns, and send them a message.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re still setting up our website. But shipping comes with costs. Those who wanted to place orders could deposit their payments to our banks or pay through PayPal,\u201d Hofschneider added.<\/p>\n

Hofschneider, after retiring as principal, is now an independent contractor\/teacher for the Title I program under the CNMI Public School System for four years now.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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