In 1944, three long weeks of fighting between the Japanese and U.S. military forces left the island of Saipan devastated. Despite remaining largely uninvolved in the battle, approximately one-quarter of the indigenous population on the... more
In 1944, three long weeks of fighting between the Japanese and U.S. military forces left the island of Saipan devastated. Despite remaining largely uninvolved in the battle, approximately one-quarter of the indigenous population on the island lost their lives due to fighting and subsequent internment. Known as the Chamorros and the Carolinians, the indigenous populations remained in internment camps until after the end of the war. Now, they're sharing their stories so that a previously untold aspect of the war can be acknowledged. (Paperback available at http://www.lulu.com/shop/stephanie-soder-and-jennifer-f-mckinnon/it-rained-fire-oral-histories-from-the-battle-for-saipan/paperback/product-24223828.html)
Review of "Mask of Glory" by Dan Levin (New York: Whittlesey House, 1949). This was one of the first American novels to treat the brutal reality of World War II. Author Dan Levin was a Marine Corps Sergeant who participated in the Saipan... more
Review of "Mask of Glory" by Dan Levin (New York: Whittlesey House, 1949). This was one of the first American novels to treat the brutal reality of World War II. Author Dan Levin was a Marine Corps Sergeant who participated in the Saipan and Tinian campaigns, and he landed on Iwo Jima on D-Day. Published so soon after the war, "Mask of Glory" has a freshness that stems from its close-in-time fidelity to the experience of the war.
This chapter explores the impact of China's Belt and Road Initiative on labour rights primarily through a case study of a casino construction project on the island of Saipan, part of the US Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands... more
This chapter explores the impact of China's Belt and Road Initiative on labour rights primarily through a case study of a casino construction project on the island of Saipan, part of the US Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), based largely on my own fieldwork. In 2014, a Hong Kong-based company, Imperial Pacific, after obtaining the exclusive licence to operate a casino resort in Saipan, executed contracts totalling hundreds of millions of US dollars with multiple Chinese construction firms. Each firm considered the Saipan project to be a contribution to China’s “One Belt, One Road” initiative. Later on, widespread violations of local and US federal labour and immi- gration laws were uncovered, resulting in civil and criminal enforcement actions by US authorities.
This chapter argues that a series of Chinese policies and regulations exists that both protects the labour rights of Chinese workers dispatched abroad and requires firms to comply with local labour laws. However, as demonstrated by the Saipan case, rather than adapting to local conditions, the labour practices of Chinese companies often do not take these rules into account – resulting in the mistreatment of Chinese workers and an undermining of local labour standards. The Saipan case also helps to illustrate host-country factors that facilitate the remedy of such abuses, but these conditions are absent in many BRI jurisdictions.
Synthesis and overview of the maritime history of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). It provides a maritime historical and archaeological context for all maritime related activities (prehistory to the modern era). In... more
Synthesis and overview of the maritime history of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). It provides a maritime historical and archaeological context for all maritime related activities (prehistory to the modern era). In addition to watercraft, it includes traditional fishing sites, caves, whaling stations, dumpsites, and other losses.
This chapter explores the impact of China's Belt and Road Initiative on labour rights primarily through a case study of a casino construction project on the island of Saipan, part of the US Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana... more
This chapter explores the impact of China's Belt and Road Initiative on labour rights primarily through a case study of a casino construction project on the island of Saipan, part of the US Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), based largely on my own fieldwork. In 2014, a Hong Kong-based company, Imperial Pacific, after obtaining the exclusive licence to operate a casino resort in Saipan, executed contracts totalling hundreds of millions of US dollars with multiple Chinese construction firms. Each firm considered the Saipan project to be a contribution to China’s “One Belt, One Road” initiative. Later on, widespread violations of local and US federal labour and immi- gration laws were uncovered, resulting in civil and criminal enforcement actions by US authorities. This chapter argues that a series of Chinese policies and regulations exists that both protects the labour rights of Chinese workers dispatched abroad and requires firms to comply with local labour laws. However, as demonstrated by the Saipan case, rather than adapting to local conditions, the labour practices of Chinese companies often do not take these rules into account – resulting in the mistreatment of Chinese workers and an undermining of local labour standards. The Saipan case also helps to illustrate host-country factors that facilitate the remedy of such abuses, but these conditions are absent in many BRI jurisdictions.
East Carolina University's 2018 Summer Field School took place in Tanapag Lagoon, Saipan. Graduate student and crew chief Stephanie Soder explains the archaeological work undertaken by the team of first year graduate students.
