Show Territories on the U.S. Map
Various lengths. Letter to the editor.
Puerto Rico version. 243 words.
I am back home now, but while stranded in Puerto Rico for almost a year due to pandemic travel restrictions, I gained a greater understanding of how the territories are viewed—or should I say not viewed—by residents of the 50 US states. I can’t count the number of times people back home asked me what it was like being “stuck in a foreign country”. I would inform them that Puerto Rico is not a foreign country but is a territory of the United States, and its residents are United States citizens.
The surprised reaction to this information tells me that schools in the United States are failing to teach this very important information, or else people are just not paying attention. I have an easy way to raise awareness of the close kinship between country and territory: include Puerto Rico and the other four territories on all maps of the United States. Just as the states of Alaska and Hawaii are shown in their own sections of such maps because they are not connected to the “lower 48”, US territories deserve to be seen and acknowledged on the map.
The political status of the territories is for its residents to determine in their own time. Meanwhile, the least we can do is know that they exist as part of the whole.
By the way, once I corrected my questioners I answered their question: it was delightful being “stuck” in Puerto Rico.
American Samoa version. 243 words.
I am back home now, but while stranded in American Samoa for almost a year due to pandemic travel restrictions, I gained a greater understanding of how the territories are viewed—or should I say not viewed—by residents of the 50 US states. I can’t count the number of times people back home asked me what it was like being “stuck in a foreign country”. I would inform them that American Samoa is not a foreign country but is a territory of the United States, and its residents are United States nationals.
The surprised reaction to this information tells me that schools in the United States are failing to teach this very important information, or else people are just not paying attention. I have an easy way to raise awareness of the close kinship between country and territory: include American Samoa and the other four territories on all maps of the United States. Just as the states of Alaska and Hawaii are shown in their own sections of such maps because they are not connected to the “lower 48”, US territories deserve to be seen and acknowledged on the map.
The political status of the territories is for its residents to determine in their own time. Meanwhile, the least we can do is know that they exist as part of the whole.
By the way, once I corrected my questioners I answered their question: it was delightful being “stuck” in American Samoa.
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