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University of Connecticut OpenCommons@UConn Doctoral Dissertations University of Connecticut Graduate School 12-15-2017 Weaponized Citizenship: A Critical Race Theory Analysis of U.S. Citizenship Legislation in the Pacific nincorU porated Territories Ross Dardani University of Connecticut - Storrs, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://opencommons.uconn.edu/dissertations Recommended Citation Dardani, Ross, "Weaponized Citizenship: A Critical Race Theory Analysis of U.S. Citizenship Legislation in the Pacific Unincorporated Territories" (2017). Doctoral Dissertations. 1671. https://opencommons.uconn.edu/dissertations/1671 Weaponized Citizenship: A Critical Race Theory Analysis of U.S. Citizenship Legislation in the Pacific Unincorporated Territories Ross Dardani, PhD University of Connecticut, 2017 This dissertation examines U.S. citizenship legislation in the U.S. Pacific unincorporated territories through Critical Race Theory’s interest-convergence thesis. I employ Derrick Bell’s theory of interest-convergence to argue that it is only when economic, cultural, political, and social interests converge to benefit the United States that U.S. lawmakers have enacted legislation to extend citizenship to the Pacific unincorporated territories (Guam, American Samoa and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands). I also rely on Mary Dudziak’s use of interest-convergence, which she used to explain the implementation of key social reforms of the Civil Rights Movement, such as desegregation, as a model setting up my research design. Bell and Dudziak used interest-convergence to explain how advances for Black Americans and other oppressed races during the Civil Rights Movement (e.g. the Court’s decision in Brown v. Board of Education) were used as propaganda by the United States in its struggle against the Soviet Union and communist political philosophy during the Cold War. The passage of civil rights legislation allowed the United States to project an image of the moral superiority of its democratic, capitalist system of government on the global stage, in response to foreign (especially Soviet) criticism of American racial discrimination and White supremacy. In my dissertation, I demonstrate that changes in citizenship status for the Pacific unincorporated territories were meant to benefit the United States’ interest in being perceived as the world leader of democracy, equality and fairness, and not for a genuine concern and sympathy of the well- being and desires of the inhabitants of the territories. Instead, I argue that the normative Ross Dardani – University of Connecticut, 2017 valuations associated with citizenship were “weaponized” by U.S. lawmakers as propaganda against the Soviet Union to promote the United States’ image throughout the world. Furthermore, when the interests of the United States and the Pacific unincorporated territories diverge, I contend that “progressive” citizenship legislation will not be enacted, which explains why Samoans are still non-citizen nationals while still owing their allegiance to the United States and existing under its authority. By applying interest-convergence to the legal histories of the Pacific unincorporated territories, I hope to accomplish three primary goals with this dissertation: (1) demonstrate a sophisticated understanding of how to apply interest-convergence as a research methodology; (2) expand the use of interest-convergence to outside the context of how Black Americans were treated during the Civil Rights Movement by analyzing how “Polynesians” were governed in the Pacific unincorporated territories through U.S. citizenship legislation; and (3) to offer a counter- narrative to romanticized theories that promote the idea that citizenship in the United States developed in a linear, increasingly progressive, manner, in which it is argued that the United States has managed to fully overcome its past history of exclusionary practices regarding eligibility for equal citizenship. The extension, or lack thereof, of U.S. citizenship to the Pacific unincorporated territories challenges progressive, mythologized understandings of the development of citizenship in the United States. Weaponized Citizenship: A Critical Race Theory Analysis of U.S. Citizenship Legislation in the Pacific Unincorporated Territories Ross Dardani B.A., State University of New York at New Paltz, 2011 M.A., University of Connecticut, 2014 A Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy at the University of Connecticut 2017 i Copyright by Ross Dardani 2017 ii APPROVAL PAGE Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation Weaponized Citizenship: A Critical Race Theory Analysis of U.S. Citizenship Legislation in the Pacific Unincorporated Territories Presented by Ross Dardani, B.A., M.A. Major Advisor ___________________________________________________________________ Charles Venator Associate Advisor ___________________________________________________________________ Jane Gordon Associate Advisor ___________________________________________________________________ Fred Lee University of Connecticut 2017 iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS One of the first things anyone that enters into a graduate program realizes is that pursuing the degree is a collective effort. I would not have been able to complete the necessary coursework, pass comprehensive exams, conduct research, teach classes, and write a dissertation without the help of others who devoted their time and energy, made countless sacrifices, and provided various forms of assistance, to enable me to achieve a Ph.D. First, I would like to thank my major advisor, Charles “Rob” Venator-Santiago, for all of the guidance, advice and support he has provided me these past few years. This entire project began with an initial conversation with Rob about the history of U.S. citizenship in Puerto Rico and developed from there. He has been caring and empathetic throughout this entire process, never forgetting what it’s like to be a graduate student. While Rob’s criticism could be tough - any good mentor’s should be - it was always constructive, designed to challenge me, to make me realize the weaknesses of my arguments, to be able to defend certain points to other scholars, and to ultimately strengthen the quality and rigor of the project. Some of my fondest memories of graduate school are taking 5:00 a.m. flights from Hartford to D.C. with Rob to do archival research at the Madison Law Library of Congress (and learning that eating a good, hearty breakfast [and lunch] is the key for a successful day of archiving) and flying across the country and back within a span of 36 hours to present at LatCrit in Anaheim in 2015. I hope to be able to present at LatCrit in the future with Rob, but on a less hectic schedule. One of the real strengths of my dissertation is the quality of the scholars on my committee, and I would also like to thank all of the other members: Jane Gordon, Fred Lee, Cathy Schlund-Vials and Jason Chang. Jane’s dissertation and prospectus writing course, which she has continued to offer for graduate students at UConn, forced me to be consistent with my iv dissertation writing each semester. While I can’t say it was always a pleasant experience to be forced to get something down on the page, Jane’s course was a central reason why I was able to finish this dissertation. I consider myself incredibly fortunate to have entered graduate school right around the time that Jane arrived at UConn, as her insights and support over the last few years have been invaluable. As Director of Graduate Studies, Jane has continued to demonstrate that she is genuinely committed to making sure all graduate students in the Political Science department succeed. Thanks to Fred, who also came to UConn right around when I did, for all of his support and illuminating thoughts on Critical Race Theory and interest-convergence (including its limitations). Fred’s graduate course on Critical Theory was one of my favorite classes (and not just because I audited it), and I will always remember the random and wide- ranging conversations I had with Fred in his office, which included topics like populism in the era of Trump, Marx’s relationship to the Western Canon and his own experiences as an academic. One of the great things about talking with Fred is that you never know where the conversation is going to go, but you know you’ll be interested to hear his interpretations of whatever you end up discussing (the sign of an excellent political theorist!). My outside readers, Cathy and Jason, offered ideas and theories I would have otherwise not thought about. Cathy’s book recommendations (in particular Lanny Thompson’s Imperial Archipelago and Alan Isaac’s American Tropics) had a substantial effect on the project and her feedback was thoughtful, challenging me to think about perspectives and historical influences I had ignored, including the idea of “violent citizenship.” Jason introduced me to the idea of “space citizenship” and to The 100 (easily the best show on The CW I have ever watched), and his suggestions about how the deep state operates forced me to think about the various ways a state exerts its power outside of the legal realm. v I would also like to thank my family, who provided unwavering support and made many sacrifices for me throughout these past six years. To my mother, Mary Pazienza, thank you for patiently listening through all of the phone conversations where I just needed to vent (cathartic is the only way to describe these) and for all of the advice you gave me that I knew was right but would only follow after I refused to listen and made the mistake you tried to prevent me from making. Thanks to my father, David Dardani, for putting up those “Impeach Bush” signs in the yard when I was in middle school and the “Nietzsche Is My Co-Pilot” bumper sticker, which clearly had some influence on my decision to pursue a Ph.D. in Political Science. Thanks to my brother, Aaron Dardani, for being both a gifted racquetball player and brother. Maye Henning, who was also on those 5 a.m.

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