Want to create an interactive transcript for this episode?
Podcast: East Anchorage Book Club with Andrew Gray
Episode: American Samoans in Whittier: journalist Alex Burness discusses, "Americans by name, punished for believing it"
Description: Send us Fan MailBolts Magazine Journalist Alex Burness discusses his article from January 8, 2026, “Americans by Name, Punished for Believing it.” The story is an in-depth look at the case of Tupe Smith, an American Samoan woman living in Whittier who was persuaded to run for school board in 2023 and was elected only to learn afterwards that she was unqualified and had actually committed a crime. Then, ten other American Samoans in Whittier were charged with voter fraud. American Samoa is the only U.S. territory where residents are not automatically grant...