So We Leapt - Para I Hinanao-ta Mo’na

Pacific Island Ethnic Art Museum, Alamitos Avenue 695, 90802, Long Beach

April 19, 2026 – August 30, 2026

So We Leapt - Para I Hinanao-ta Mo’na" features photographs by Army photographer Frank Buchman, taken between 1944 and 1946 in Guam, highlighting the everyday life of CHamorus during a tumultuous time. The collection, curated and digitally restored by Pulitzer Prize winner Manny Crisostomo, includes over 500 prints, negatives, and color transparencies. In addition to Buchman's historical images, the exhibition presents contemporary portraits of WWII CHamoru survivors, now in their 80s and 90s, captured for Judge Johnny Cepeda Gogo's project "Hasso." In November 2024, Gogo, Crisostomo, and investigative reporter Rob Perez visited Buchman in Pittsburgh, where he signed a Guam flag and donated more images. The narrative of this collection is further explored in a companion book, also titled "So We Leapt - Para I Hinanao-ta Mo’na: Guam after Liberation & CHamoru WWII Survivors," with limited print editions available. A Guam flag honoring WWII survivors will be present for signing at the exhibit opening.