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How a News Site Is Bridging the Gap Between the US and its Territories

by Feb 21, 2022Bocaítos0 comments

Yours truly recently sat for an interview with Claire Healy for U.S. News and World Report about the work we do at Pasquines, aiming to bridge the gap between the United States and its territories. The interview covers the inspiration behind the starting of our organization and how we aim to address coverage issues with the US territories.

Some 3.5 million Americans cannot vote for the president who represents them; nor can their representatives in Congress vote for policies affecting their constituents. One news organization is working to make sure issues in the five United States territories with permanent residents – Guam, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the Northern Mariana Islands – echo through the halls of Congress.

Founded in 2013 by William José Vélez González, a Puerto Rican native and former national executive vice president of the Puerto Rico Statehood Students Association, Pasquines is an online publication focusing on ending the disconnect between the United States and its territories. Drawing the name from the term used to describe political flyers plastered around Puerto Rico, the publication hopes to highlight the conditions of the territories with the same persistence as Puerto Rico’s pasquinesflyers.

In an interview with U.S. News and World Report, González describes how he created Pasquines as both a resource for policymakers, and a model for a more inclusive American journalism. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

For the context of islands.

About The Author

William-Jose Velez Gonzalez

William-José Vélez González is a native from Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, and a graduate from Florida International University in biomedical engineering, engineering management, and international relations. A designer with a strong interest in science, policy, and innovation, he previously served as the national executive vice president of the Puerto Rico Statehood Students Association. William-José lives in Washington, DC, where he works at the Children's National Research Institute and runs Opsin, a nonprofit design studio dedicated to making design more accessible. You can see him on Love is Blind as Lydia's brother. He is the founder and Editor in Chief of Pasquines.

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