The context of islands Pasquines covered in 2025—and why it mattered
In 2025, Pasquines continued its mission to provide consistent, independent reporting from and about the United States territories—places that remain undercovered despite being home to more than three million United States citizens and nationals. Throughout the year,...
US House committee advances bill to guarantee in-state tuition for students from four territories
Legislation that would guarantee in-state tuition rates for students from the United States territories of Guam, the US Virgin Islands, the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa advanced out of the United States House Committee on Education and Workforce on...
Advocacy grows as Alaska prosecutes American Samoans over voting eligibility
American Samoans living in Alaska are facing criminal prosecution tied to their status as United States nationals rather than citizens, a case that has drawn formal objections from territorial leaders and community organizations in American Samoa and Alaska. The...
How the “Donroe Doctrine” is changing Puerto Rico
Now The Economist covers the military buildup happening in Puerto Rico (and the US Virgin Islands), examining how a new doctrine will reshape life on the islands, and the rest of the Caribbean: Bomba drums and reggaeton are classic elements of Puerto Rico’s...
American Samoa’s attorney general increases immigration bond rates
On November 20, 2025, the American Samoa Attorney General’s Office released a revised immigration bond schedule, the first significant adjustment to bond amounts in decades. The update was issued through a public notice and applies to every member sponsoring a foreign...
#TBT: December 18, 2025
On December 18, 1931, HJ Res 149 was introduced by Puerto Rico's Resident Commissioner, Félix Córdova Dávila, to reflect the original Spanish name and the will of the local people. The anglicized spelling "Porto Rico" had been used by the US government since the...
Google Trends in the US territories: November 2025
This is our monthly series examining the top Google Trends in Puerto Rico, Guam, the United States Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands. Trends data is an unbiased sample of Google search data....
American Samoa delegation participates in global Indigenous education summit in Aotearoa
The American Samoa Samoan Language Commission represented the territory at the World Indigenous Peoples Conference on Education, held from November 16 to 20 in Aotearoa, New Zealand. The delegation was led by Executive Director Elisapeta Alaimaleata and included...
Puerto Rico Affordable Care Act introduced to establish ACA exchange in the territory
Representative Darren Soto (D) of Florida and Resident Commissioner Pablo José Hernández (PDP, D) of Puerto Rico introduced HR 6479, the Puerto Rico Affordable Care Act of 2025, legislation that would require the establishment of an Affordable Care Act (ACA) exchange...
#TBT: December 11, 2025
Massacre Bay, located on Tutuila Island in American Sāmoa, is home to the village of Aʻasu. The bay holds historical significance, marked by an 1883 monument commemorating the Frenchmen who lost their lives there on December 11, 1787, as depicted here.
