CNMI author says ‘Shadows in Paradise’ aims to preserve guest workers’ stories

For Kelvin Rodeo, publishing “Shadows in Paradise: The Dark History of the CNMI Guest Worker Program” was about ensuring that the stories of thousands of foreign workers who helped build the Commonwealth are not forgotten.

“I wrote it because it's never been really resolved, the whole issue in my mind,” Rodeo told Marianas Press in a Zoom interview. “Everything that we enjoy in the CNMI... came from the people that were the root of this book. And their stories... are an essential part of CNMI history.”

The 36-year-old former Saipan resident, who was born and raised on Saipan, said his long-term hope is for foreign workers who have spent decades in the CNMI to receive permanent residency—and ideally U.S. citizenship.

“My ultimate dream for the foreign workers is that they get granted U.S. citizenship,” Rodeo said. “In my mind, they've done more than enough to deserve U.S. citizenship, not just permanent residency.”

Rodeo recently received the first printed copies of his book, calling the moment “a dream come true” after years of wanting to become a published author from the CNMI.

The book examines the rise and growth of the CNMI guest worker system, which brought tens of thousands of foreign workers to the islands to support the garment industry, tourism sector, and broader economy. While the program fueled economic growth, it also drew criticism over labor conditions, worker protections, human trafficking allegations and political corruption.

According to Rodeo, the project was sparked by a desire to preserve a chapter of CNMI history that he believes has been insufficiently documented.

“As someone who grew up in the CNMI, I wrote the book because I believe this chapter of our history has been insufficiently documented and is often misunderstood, both within the Marianas and beyond,” he said.

Rodeo said he was also motivated by the approaching 2029 sunset of the federal CW-1 worker program.

“Because the CW program is scheduled to end in 2029, I don't want it to be another push for them to just extend the program again and prolong this situation,” he said. “I'm trying to get the best possible resolution out of the entire era of foreign labor in the CNMI.”

Alongside the book, Rodeo launched the “Forgotten Builders of the CNMI Project,” which he hopes will “rehumanize” foreign workers and remind policymakers that “these are human beings that you're talking about” when future immigration discussions arise.

The author, who now lives in Los Angeles, California, grew up on Saipan, attending Saipan Community School, the former Northern Marianas College Lab School, and Marianas High School before eventually serving in the military.

Rodeo said one of the book's goals is to encourage younger generations to recognize the role foreign workers played in shaping the islands.

“I hope that it sends the message that whatever we have today, whatever our people are enjoying today in the CNMI, it was built on the backs of tens of thousands of people that loved our islands,” he said.

The book has also enjoyed an unexpectedly strong start on Amazon.

“Within the first few days of being published, it hit the number one new release across several different categories on Amazon,” Rodeo said. “It climbed as high as the No. 2 bestseller in Australian and Oceanian politics.”

He added that seeing his debut work become an Amazon bestseller was something he “never in my wildest dreams would have imagined.”

“Shadows in Paradise” is available on Amazon in paperback for $19.99 and as a Kindle e-book for $9.99.