Stateless in Paradise: A Stranded Soul’s Fight for Freedom

The Journey of a Stateless Person to United States Citizenship

Stateless in Paradise is the deeply human journey of a man living between borders. From the South Pacific to West Africa, from Eastern Europe to the United States, Mikhail's life is shaped by movement, uncertainty, and the constant negotiations required of someone without a recognized nation.

Forced into detentions, threatened with deportations, and stranded for months in American Samoa, he confronts the global systems that decide who belongs — and who does not. Yet this memoir is also filled with connection: the kindness of strangers, the discovery of chosen family, the beauty of cultures encountered, and the love story that becomes his safe harbor.

A powerful meditation on identity, resilience, and the meaning of home

Mikhail Sebastian Okunuga is a multifaceted professional and creative entrepreneur with a diverse international background. Originally from the former Soviet Union (Azerbaijan SSR), he lived as a stateless person in the United States for over 16 years before becoming a U.S. citizen. A passionate world traveler, he has visited over 77 countries across Europe, Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Cuba. Mikhail is married to Quadri Okunuga, and the couple divides their time between the United States and Latvia.