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Posted on 07/15/2003 8:24:32 PM PDT by Brian S
Arvind Pandit stood inside the Newark, N.J., immigration office, raised his right hand and took the oath of U.S. citizenship, vowing to renounce "all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state or sovereignty."
But Pandit, like most immigrants, still feels the strong tug of his native country.
And with the government of India expected to change its citizenship laws, he may soon be able to be a citizen of the United States and India.
Pandit, 42, is typical of a wave of naturalized citizens who are more likely than ever to maintain dual citizenships.
The United States has recognized dual citizenship since a landmark Supreme Court ruling in 1967. Whether a person is allowed to hold dual citizenship depends largely on the laws of his or her native country.
Ireland, Italy and other countries that once sent large numbers of people to the United States have long offered the option for immigrants, and even their children and grandchildren, to be dual citizens.
More and more, countries contributing to the current immigration wave are allowing and encouraging expatriates to maintain dual citizenships.
Mexico changed its laws in 1998 to allow dual citizenship for anyone born in Mexico or having Mexican parents. Last month, the Philippine legislature took up the issue and is expected to authorize dual citizenship in the near future.
When it convenes later this month, the Indian Parliament is expected to approve a measure allowing dual citizenship. More than 90 countries worldwide recognize dual nationalities, including nearly all of those sending the largest numbers of immigrants to the United States.
"When I applied for U.S. citizenship, I was certainly willing to give up (Indian citizenship)," said Pandit. "This is just a bonus. Everyone is delighted to hear that it is an option."
As the nation's foreign-born population swells to historic highs, the trend toward dual citizenship is prompting debates over loyalty, assimilation and the long-term effect on American society.
Proponents celebrate the phenomenon as a way of strengthening ties between nations. It is a simple reality, they say, of a world made smaller by high technology and global economies.
"Anybody who thinks you can go back to a time and a place, which was probably mythical to begin with -- when everyone was loyal to one place, that's not the way the world works," said Alex Aleinikoff, professor at the Georgetown University Law Center.
For opponents, the concerns range from practical to philosophical.
The U.S. State Department acknowledges dual nationality can create problems, especially when a person traveling overseas is arrested or otherwise needs help from the U.S. consuls.
Conflicts of interest could also arise if a U.S. citizen is drafted or enlists in the military of another country, or is elected to public office abroad, the State Department says.
Opponents argue that growing numbers of people with dual citizenships dilute civic and political attachment to the United States and exacerbate divisions in American society.
"It orients people away from their new society toward their old one," said Stanley Renshon, professor of sociology at the City University of New York. "Would you marry someone if they were having a relationship with another person?"
The U.S. government keeps no statistics on the number of people holding dual citizenships.
There are more foreign-born people living in the United States than at any time in history, 32.5 million, or 11 percent of the population, according to the U.S. Census. Experts agree that those figures, along with the unprecedented efforts by many countries to encourage immigrants to maintain ties to their homelands, are creating an explosion in dual citizenships.
Renshon, author of an upcoming book "The Fifty Percent American," rejects notions that governments should prevent people from holding dual citizenships. But he supports measures, such as greater efforts to teach immigrants about American history, culture and ideals, to steer their primary loyalty toward the United States.
"We've always had immigration, but we've never had this explosion of dual citizenship," said Renshon. "Because it's new, we really do have to take a sober look at it. It's got some implications for our country and no one has done that yet."
Many countries maintain ties with expatriates for financial reasons.
In nations such as the Philippines and Mexico, remittances sent home by citizens living abroad have become a staple of their economies. Allowing immigrants to keep their citizenships makes it easier for them to invest in their home countries, inherit and own land, start businesses or even return for retirement.
For immigrants, the allure of dual citizenship is greater than ever.
Immigrants are more likely to travel back and forth between countries. Many people enjoy holding two passports because it allows them to speed through airport checkpoints.
"I go to the airport in Britain, I show my British passport. I come to the U.S., I use my U.S. passport. With dual nationality, you can't go wrong," said Navnit Patel of South Brunswick, N.J., who was born in Uganda to Indian parents before moving to England, and eventually the United States.
July 14, 2003
(Brian Donohue covers immigration issues for The Star-Ledger of Newark, N.J. He can be contacted at bdonohue@starledger.com.)
How can a person swear to " renounce "all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state or sovereignty."
And keep their citizenship in another country? Oxymoron?
| When Clinton was asked what he thought of foreign affairs he replied, "I don't know, I never had one." (As usual, he lied) |
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Me I am an american not french-american, not africa-america, not canadian-american, not mexican american, I am a citizen of the United States of America, no other country or part of the world.
Been to a lot of them, and guess what they all suck in one way or the other.
I don't know why the US would demand the oath, then recognized dual citizenships. Makes no sense.
I'm a native born American, will always be loyal to America, and have no inclination whatsoever to even consider any disloyalty to America. But at the same time, I would realize a substantial economic benefit if I held any kind of European dual citizenship and would do so in a heartbeat if I could.
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