WHO IS AMERICA’S CITIZEN?
What does your U.S. citizenship mean to you> The aircraft carrier USS Midway
set the scene for Navy sailor Hugston Brooks from Liberia and 80 other Marine and
Navy service members from 25 countries to become U.S. citizens on Veterans Day in
2004. The San Diego ceremony was held during a military celebration of Veterans
Day. For many people around the world, becoming a U.S. citizen is a lifelong dream.
With nearly 12,500 non-citizen active-duty sailors, the Navy now provides a
streamlined route to naturalized citizenship for many recruits.
Path to Citizenship
You learned that citizens are community members who owe loyalty to the
government and are entitled to protection from it. Every country has rules about how
people gain citizenship. The U.S. Constitution establishes two ways to become a
citizen: by birth and, for foreign-born people who choose to become citizens, by a legal
process called naturalization.
Citizenship by Birth
If you were born in any of the 50 states or the District of Columbia, you
automatically became an American citizen at birth. The same is true if you were born
outside the country but in American territory, such as Puerto Rico or Guam, or on a
U.S. military base overseas. Even if you were born elsewhere, you could still claim
American citizenship if your parents are both citizens or if one is a citizen who has
lived in the United States. Children born on American soil to non-U.S. citizens also
acquire U.S. citizenship at birth. Americans may hold dual citizenship. This means that
they enjoy rights in the United States and in another country. For example, a child born
abroad to American parents may be both a U.S. citizen and a citizen of the country of
his or her birth.
The Naturalization Process
Several million noncitizens, or aliens, live in the United States. Some come to
study, to work, or to visit relatives. They remain citizens of their own countries and
eventually return home. Other aliens plan to settle here and become naturalized
citizens. More than half a million immigrants—people who move permanently to a new
country—gain American citizenship each year.
Beginning the Process: Aliens who want to become United States citizens must
first sign a statement saying just that. This Declaration of Intention is then filed with
the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), an agency of the national
government. For most aliens, the next step comes after living in the United States at
least five years. (Aliens who are married to citizens wait only three years.) During this
time, many immigrants take special classes to prepare for citizenship. Then, if they
are at least 18 years old and have lived for at least three months in the state where
they seek naturalization, they may file an application for citizenship.
Interview and Examination: After the paperwork is checked, the alien has an
interview with a USCIS official. Agency officials want to be sure the alien meets the
necessary requirements and is of good moral character. The applicant must also take
a citizenship exam that consists of questions about reading, writing, and speaking
English and basic facts about the history and government of the United States.
Afterward, the USCIS makes its decision.
Oath of Allegiance: If the application is granted, the final step in naturalization
is attending a ceremony and pledging an oath of allegiance. The alien swears to be
loyal to this country above all others, to obey the Constitution and other laws, and to
perform military or other duties if needed. Then the person signs a document and is
declared a citizen of the United States. If he or she has children under 18, they
automatically become naturalized citizens, too.
Native Americans: For a long time, most Native Americans were excluded from
citizenship. A few groups became citizens through treaties with the federal
government. Later, Congress offered citizenship to individual Native Americans who
gave up their traditional culture. Not until 1924 did Congress make all Native
Americans citizens of the United States.
A Lifelong Privilege
Whether they are naturalized or nativeborn, most Americans keep their
citizenship forever. Only the federal government can both grant citizenship and take it
away. State governments can deny, or refuse, a convicted criminal some of the
privileges of citizenship, such as voting, but they do not have the power to deny
citizenship itself. The government may strip naturalized citizens of citizenship if it was
improperly obtained or gained. Citizens can lose citizenship in three ways: through
denaturalization, through expatriation, or by being convicted of certain crimes. Native-
born U.S. citizens can lose citizenship only through their own actions and cannot be
denaturalized.
Denaturalization: The loss of citizenship through fraud or deception during the
naturalization process is called denaturalization. For example, former Nazis who
engaged in war crimes during World War II and later lied about their wartime activities
were denaturalized after they entered the United States or when they applied for
citizenship.
Expatriation: The simplest way to lose citizenship is through expatriation, or
giving up one’s citizenship by leaving one’s native country to live in a foreign country.
Expatriation may be voluntary or involuntary. For example, a person who becomes a
naturalized citizen of another country automatically loses his or her American
citizenship. Involuntary expatriation would occur in the case of a child whose parents
become citizens of another country.
Punishment for a Crime: A person may lose citizenship when convicted of
certain federal crimes that involve extreme disloyalty. These crimes include treason,
participation in a rebellion, and attempts to overthrow the government through violent
means.
Aliens in America
The United States restricts the number of immigrants who can enter the country.
Millions apply, but only about one million are admitted each year. Traditionally, the
relatives of U.S. citizens and people with needed job skills receive the highest priority,
or first consideration. Family members still get special consideration, but because of
the Immigration Act of 1990, emphasis has shifted toward welcoming “those who want
to work and produce and contribute,” as one member of Congress put it. The new
policy benefits people with particular skills, talents, or the money to invest in our
economy.
Illegal Aliens
Despite immigration limits, more than 12 million aliens are living in the United
States illegally. Some were refused permission to immigrate; others never applied for
permission because they feared a long, slow process or being turned down. Illegal
aliens come to the United States in a variety of ways. A few enter the country as
temporary visitors but never leave. Others risk arrest by illegally crossing our borders
with Mexico and Canada. Other illegal aliens are foreigners who have stayed in the
United States after their legal permits expired. Whatever the method, the reason is
usually the same. “I came for work and for a better life,” explained one Mexican
immigrant. Yet illegal aliens often have a difficult time in the United States. Many have
no friends or family here, no place to live, and no sure way to earn money. It is against
the law to hire illegal aliens, and those who do find work usually receive little pay and
no benefits. Every day they live with the fear that government officials will discover and
deport them—send them back to their own countries. The United States Border Patrol
is the law enforcement unit of the USCIS. Its primary responsibility is to detect and
prevent the illegal entry of aliens into the United States. The Border Patrol guards the
6,000 miles of Mexican and Canadian international land borders and 2,000 miles of
coastal waters surrounding the Florida Peninsula and the island of Puerto Rico.
Legal Aliens
United States law classifies aliens into different categories. A resident alien is a
person from a foreign country who has established permanent residence in the United
States. Resident aliens may stay in the United States as long as they wish without
becoming American citizens. A nonresident alien is a person from a foreign country
who expects to stay in the United States for a short, specified period. A Turkish
journalist who has come to report on a presidential election is an example of a
nonresident alien. Refugees are another category. Refugees are people fleeing their
country to escape persecution. Aliens who have entered the United States legally lead
lives much like those of American citizens. Aliens may hold jobs, own property, attend
public schools, and receive other government services. They pay taxes and are
entitled to legal protection. Aliens do not have full political rights, however. They may
not vote in elections or run for office. They may not serve on juries or work in most
government jobs. In addition, unlike U.S. citizens, aliens must carry identification cards
at all times.
