The Red Nation Podcast Solidarity, Not Spam: Defend Chamoru Self-Determination, Oppose Bill 242-38!
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Feb 17, 2026 Michael Lujan Bevacqua, Co-Chair of Independent Guåhan and decolonization organizer; Melvin Won Pat-Borja, Executive Director of the Guam Commission on Decolonization. They discuss why Bill 242-38 would erase Chamoru-led voting rights. Conversations cover Guam and Micronesia’s decolonization history, unequal U.S. citizenship and militarization, and visions for an independent, peaceful Micronesia.
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Legal Barrier From Ninth Circuit Ruling
- Guam's 1997 decolonization law limited referendum eligibility to 1950 U.S. citizens and their descendants to protect indigenous self-determination.
- The Ninth Circuit struck that requirement down as unconstitutional, creating a legal barrier to a native-inhabitant plebiscite.
1997 Framework Mirrored UN Standards
- The 1997 referendum framework followed UN-recognized options (statehood, free association, independence) to meet standards of full self-government.
- Eligibility restrictions aimed to acknowledge historical injustice from the Organic Act granting citizenship without consent.
Conditional Citizenship And Visibility
- Guam's U.S. citizenship is inconsistent: residents have blue passports but lack full federal representation and often face being treated as 'foreign'.
- Melvin and Michael emphasize the territory's visibility only when militarily useful and invisibility in democratic rights.