Guam and CNMI Military Relocation
Draft EIS/OEIS (November 2009)
16.2.3.4 Sociocultural Impacts
Sociocultural impacts by their nature are complex and have no single outcome measure.
Although available evidence does not suggest that Marines would have an impact on Guam‘s overall crime rates or assaults on women, there is cause for concern about impacts on crime and social order due to other factors. Construction booms are often accompanied by a sense of loosened norms and social disorder. In-migrants from the FAS – whose numbers may increase in both the construction and operational stages due to more job opportunities – have high crime rates associated with adapting to less traditional social structures. There is a potential for more prostitution, alcohol/substance abuse, and family violence associated with young military populations in general, not Marines in particular. However, the reputation of Marines as fighters could trigger a transitional period of adjustment that local young men test themselves against Marines in fights.
Long term, though, established patterns of military outreach to Guam‘s civilian community are likely to minimize the sort of day-to-day irritants that affect the average citizen, including the perceived insufficient respect that underlies one set of Chamorro concerns. Chamorro concerns involves political autonomy are impacted by the potential increase in non-Chamorro populations due to the buildup, increasing the likelihood of more non-Chamorro local political office-holders. More non-Chamorro voters would decrease the possibility of Chamorro political self determination. They would also decrease the possibility of successful plebiscites to achieve greater independence from U.S. control, although at present there is little evidence that a majority would support such moves at any rate.
VOLUME TWO Marine Corps Relocation – Guam [page 1100]
16. Socioeconomics and General Services (1.6 MB)
http://guambuildupeis.us/documents_store/volume_2/Volume%202%20Chapter%2016.pdf
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