Territorial status 101: How living in a U.S. territory shapes daily life

Join us for a lunch-and-learn conversation exploring how territorial status shapes daily life for the millions of U.S. citizens and nationals living in Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and other U.S. territories. From access to federal programs and voting rights to questions of identity, governance, and belonging, this informal discussion will unpack what it actually means to live under a political status that is neither full statehood nor independence. 

Lunch will be provided. Open to students, faculty, and staff — no background in the topic required.

Featuring:

• Imani Daniel - Executive director of the Virgin Islands Institute for Social Impact, Opulence, and Noetics (VIISION Inc.) and a delegate to the U.S. Virgin Islands Constitutional Convention, where she is helping draft a new constitution for the territory.
• Victoria-Lola Leon Guerrero - Director of publishing at the University of Guam Press, where she is developing and launching a K–12 civics curriculum rooted in CHamoru and Micronesian history and culture. She holds an MFA in creative writing and taught English composition and creative writing at UOG for over a decade before leading UOG Press's growth into a regional publishing house.
• Michael Lujan Bevacqua, PhD - Curator of the Guam Museum and founder of the first Chamorro Studies Program at the University of Guam. A CHamoru scholar and activist, his work examines the impact of colonization on Guam and theorizes possibilities for decolonization; in 2007, he testified before the United Nations' Fourth Committee on the political status of Guam.
• Hadiya Sewer - Co-founder of the St. John Heritage Collective (St. JanCo), a community land trust preserving the history and culture of St. John's people, and a founding member of the Virgin Islands Studies Collective. She holds a PhD in Africana Studies from Brown University.

Sponsored by: Center for Democracy and Civic Empowerment, Trotter Multicultural Center, Political Science Department, Department of English Language and Literature, Center for Social Solutions, and Latina/o Studies Program.

This event is part of U-M Democracy Week programming. It is open to the U-M students, faculty, and staff. Registration is not required.