Guam woman publishes two books about her deaf mother

A woman from Guam published two books about her deaf mother, the struggles she overcame, and her teaching of sign language in the Chamorro language.

Melissa Cayton and the CHamoru Deaf Team released two books on January 11.  The first publication of both books will ship out on February 22.  Ms. Cayton was born on Guam to deaf parents, who raised her in Barrigada.

“Margarita; The Girl Who Couldn’t Hear,” is a tribute to Ms. Cayton’s mother, Margarita, who is the main character in the book.  Margarita leaves her home in Guam to study at a school for the deaf.  The girl discovers her purpose and comes home to teach sign language to her people.

The second book is called “Let’s Learn CHamoru Sign Language.”  The book is intended to preserve CHamoru Sign Language.  According to Ms. Cayton, only six or seven people still remember the dying language.

The books encourages the education of hearing parents to deaf or hard-of-hearing children.  Ms. Cayton stated, “While growing up, I have seen so much lack of access for the deaf community.  I learned about my mother’s and other deaf family and close friends’s language deprivation and began to understand her mother and the others.  This book is to honor her, my father and so many deaf people out in our world with that similar experience.”

Trailer below: