As America celebrates its semiquincentennial anniversary, it’s time to finally address the twin-faceted existential questions: who is an American in which America? Benign neglect is not an option in an increasingly multipolar world where both the absolute and relative power of the United States will be under threat for the foreseeable future. Indeed, the People’s Republic of China is considered the overarching threat that could lead to armed conflict within the next two decades, according to both the 2025 National Security Strategy of the United States of America and the 2026 U.S. National Defense Strategy. While these vital documents clearly identify the threat, they are silent on defining the people and territorial scope of the U.S. The Immigration and Naturalization Act defines the U.S. as “the continental United States, Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands of the United States, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.” Conspicuously missing is American Samoa.
OPINION — BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP: A BATTLE FOR THE SURVIVAL OF OUR REPUBLIC
The U.S. Air Force Doctrine on Homeland Defense 2026 defines the U.S. as “the continental United States (CONUS), Alaska, Hawaii, territories in the Pacific (i.e., Guam, American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands), as well as territories in the Caribbean (i.e., the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and the surrounding territorial waters and airspace).” Clearly, American Samoa is included.
