Dear Source:
As a native of the Virgin Islands, I have often encountered greater scrutiny than most as I have traveled to and from the territory. It would be easy to say that it was due to the fact of my skin color; however, many times this scrutiny was due to the fact that many outside the territory do not understand our status. For instance, I had a less than pleasant experience long before September 11, while traveling with my mother and brother from South Bend, Indiana in 1990. We were harassed for not having the proper documents at the U.S. airport. While my mother handled the situation with her normal grace, I was not as graceful. I was extremely upset with the lack of knowledge of the airline attendant; I felt she should have known.
Despite the fact that it was a frustrating experience, there were four important lessons my mother taught us that day: 1) when your mother gives you that silent 'you better shut your mouth' look, be quiet (2) not everyone knows what they should know (3) not every unpleasant encounter is cause for a negative reaction and (4) acquire and always have a current passport.
Whereas in the past it was optional, the January 23, 2007 deadline for all persons, including U.S. citizens, traveling by air or sea (as well as travel by ferry) to acquire valid documents for travel is near, and I urge anyone in the Virgin Islands that plans to travel outside the Virgin Islands, mainland, or U.S. territories to be prepared. First, be prepared for those that do not know our legal status or geography to demand more than a driver's license or birth certificate even if we are only traveling to and from the U.S. or other U.S. territories. Second, be prepared to educate. This new initiative requires a valid passport, air NEXUS card, U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Mariner Document or Alien Registration Card. Countries that will require these valid documents to travel between the U.S. are: Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean and Bermuda.
More importantly, be prepared to inform others that according to the U.S. Department of State, the passport requirement does not apply to U.S. citizens traveling to or returning directly from a U.S. territory. U.S. territories include Guam, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, the Swains Islands, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the United States Virgin Islands.
The requirement for valid travel documents according to the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) can be found on the Departments of Homeland Security and States Web sites (www.dhs.gov and www.state.gov. Do not rely on notices that are being disseminated by the airlines or cruise lines as the date has shifted. The official date is now January 23, 2007.
While over the next few months there may be confusion among those that are responsible for ensuring that we have the appropriate valid travel documents, be patient and remember that the initiative meets the requirements of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 in an effort to keep us and our borders safe.
This practice is not new. The first requirement to acquire and travel with passports began in 1914 to enforce security during wartime, and a subsequent executive order was made on December 15, 1915. The Department of State's most recent accountability report states that passports were an initial response to World War I when European governments began requiring U.S. nationals to bear passports. The report also states that passports have been around, in some form, for hundreds of years. Governments learned long ago that an official document or certification is one that identified a traveler as a citizen or national with a right to protection while abroad, and a right to return to the country of his citizenship is a necessity. Passports, letters of transit and similar documents were used for centuries to allow individuals to travel safely in foreign lands, but the adoption of the passport by all nations is a development of the 19th and 20th centuries.
Should you need to renew your passport or acquire applications for passports, contact the Office of Lt. Gov. Gregory Francis at 774-4024.
Lawrence Boschulte
St. Thomas
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