Pacific Studies Journal
Abstract
Chewed in the Marianas for centuries, pugua, known scientifically as Areca catechu and colloquially as betel nut, is the world’s fourth most commonly used psychoactive substance after tobacco, alcohol, and caffeine-containing beverages. It has and continues to serve numerous cultural, social, political, medicinal, and economic purposes. At the same time, health concerns are mounting against pugua due to its classification as a carcinogen by the World Health Organization, as well as to high rates of cancer among Chamorros and to federal research funds that promote an antichewing agenda. This paper uses a range of sources to examine the historical use of pugua on the island, specifically reflecting upon tensions of race, class, and culture as they play out in twenty-first century Guam
Recommended Citation
Hattori, Anne Perez
(2018)
"BETEL MANIA, FROM CULTURE TO CANCER: DIGESTIVE AND DISCURSIVE USES OF THE BETEL NUT (ARECA CATECHU) IN GUAM,"
Pacific Studies Journal: Vol. 41:
No.
3, Article 8.
Available at:
https://digitalcollections.byuh.edu/pacific-studies-journal/vol41/iss3/8
Included in
Anthropology Commons, History Commons, Indigenous Studies Commons, Pacific Islands Languages and Societies Commons