8/7/2019 Editorial: The meaning of U.S. citizenship - Los Angeles Times

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Editorial:ThemeaningofU.S.citizenship

Inrecentyears,theconceptofU.S.citizenshiphasfiguredinpublicdebatelargelyinconnectionwithimmigrationreform.Should

immigrantswhoareinthecountryillegallybegivena“pathtocitizenship”?Shouldchildrenborntoparentswhoarenothere

ApplyforanewMoneyMarketSavingsaccountandreceiveaBankingBenefits-DepositIntroductory2.15%AnnualPercentageYield(APY).

Limitations apply APY effective as of 7/10/2019

StateFarmBank,F.S.B.,Bloomington,Illinois

8/7/2019 Editorial: The meaning of U.S. citizenship - Los Angeles Times

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legallybeentitledto“birthrightcitizenship”?Shouldyoungpeoplewhoarehereillegallybeallowedtostayindefinitelyasnon-

naturalizedresidentsorwouldthatconstitute“second-classcitizenship”?

Butcitizenshiphasmeaningsthataredeeperandmoresubtlethanlegalpermissiontoliveinthiscountry.Itdefinesanindividual’s

relationshiptohiscountryandthusstrikeschordsofnationalismandpersonalresponsibility,dutyandrights.America,itisoften

said,isanationofimmigrants.Isitalsoanationofcitizens?Inthisseries,wewillexplorethatquestionandexaminethechanging

natureofcitizenshiptoday.

AswithsomanyfoundationalquestionsinAmericanlife,thisonehasitsrootsinthelanguageoftheConstitution.Andaswithso

manyconstitutionalquestions,thatlanguageembraceslargeandsometimescompetingvalues.TheConstitutionreferstothe

“privilegesandimmunities”ofcitizenship,forexample,butitalsooffersimportantprotectionfor“persons”livinghereregardless

ofnationality,includingtherighttoequalprotectionofthelawsanddueprocessoflaw.“Persons”mayattendschools,holdjobs,

paytaxesandreceivebenefits.

Holdersofpermanentresidentcards—betterknownasgreencards—mayapplyforcitizenshipafterfiveyearsoflivinginthis

country.Buteveniftheyneverapplyforcitizenship,permanentresidentsareparticipantsintheeconomyandtheirlocal

communities,andoftenhavespousesandchildrenwhoareU.S.citizens.Somewouldarguethattheyshouldalsobeallowedtovote

(ifonlyinlocalelections)orserveonjuries.Ifpermanentresidentsweretobegivenaroleinthepoliticalprocessandthejudicial

system,shouldtheyberequiredtomeetthesameconditionsimposedonnaturalizedcitizens,suchasproficiencyinEnglish?

ComplicatingthepicturefurtheristhefactthatmanyU.S.citizens—native-bornandnaturalized—holdcitizenshipinanother

country,andsometimesvoteinforeignelectionsandevenserveinforeignarmies.AlthoughtheStateDepartmentdiscouragesdual

nationality,theSupremeCourthasruledthataU.S.citizenmustaffirmativelyintendtorenouncehiscitizenshipbeforeitcanbe

takenaway.Inanincreasinglyglobalizedworld,dualcitizenshipis,forsome,anattractiveoption.IsitalsogoodfortheAmerican

politicalprocess,ordoestheexistenceofmultipleallegiancesunderminesocialcohesion?

Thenotionof“goodcitizenship,”meanwhile,hasbeenredefinedbypolitical,legalandtechnologicaldevelopments.Theadventof

theInternethasalteredthewaycitizensexpresstheiropinionsto,andabout,theirelectedrepresentativesandpotentiallycould

transformvotingaswell.SupremeCourtdecisionsrecognizingarightofcorporationstoengageinpoliticalspeechhavebeenso

controversialthatsomewouldoverturnthembyamendingtheConstitution.

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In“The21stCenturyCitizen,”TheTimeswilltakeuptheseandotherissues:

Immigrationandcitizenship.Isapathtocitizenshiptheonlyacceptablewayoflegalizing11millionimmigrants?Ifso,should

thecriteriafornaturalizationbemorerigorous?Doesthecurrentimmigrationsystemplacetoomuchemphasisonfamily

unificationandnotenoughonattractingpotentialcitizenswithvaluableskillsorfinancialresources?Shouldforeigntemporary

workersinagricultureandotherindustriesreceivespecialconsiderationforpermanentresidenceandultimatelycitizenship?

ShouldtheU.S.desistineffortstopersuadepermanentlegalresidentstoacquirecitizenship?

“Birthright”citizenship.AlthoughtheSupremeCourthasheldthattheConstitutionordinarilyconferscitizenshiponchildren

bornintheU.S.—so-calledjussolicitizenship—somelegalscholarsnotethatthe14thAmendmentdefinesaU.S.citizenas

anyone“bornornaturalizedintheUnitedStates,andsubjecttothejurisdictionthereof,”aphrasetheyinterpretasalicensefor

Congresstoexcludefromcitizenshippersonsbornofforeignersinthecountrytemporarilyorillegally.Thecampaigntoabolish

birthrightcitizenshiphasbeenledbyopponentsofillegalimmigrationwhoclaimthatitinduceswomentocometothiscountryto

givebirthto“anchorbabies.”That’slargelyacanard,buttheideathatplaceofbirthguaranteescitizenshipisnotuniversally

accepted,evenamongmodernnations.

Citizenshipandculture.InCalifornia,campaignsforEnglish-onlyeducationorpublicservicesoftenhavebeenveiledeffortsto

marginalizeimmigrants.Butthereareserious,nonpunitiveargumentsfortheunifyingeffectsofacommonlanguage.Many

AmericansagreewiththelateHarvardprofessorSamuelP.HuntingtonthatimmigrationfromSpanish-speakingcountries

threatens“todividetheUnitedStatesintotwopeoples,twoculturesandtwolanguages.”Doesthisconcernjustifyamoreexacting

requirementforproficiencyinEnglishasaconditionofcitizenship?ShouldmasteryofEnglishalsobearequirementforholding

publicofficeoverandabovetherequirementofU.S.citizenship?

Dualcitizenship.U.S.citizenswhoholdcitizenshipinanothercountryinsomecasesareabletoparticipateinthepoliticallifeof

thatcountryandtoserveinitsarmedforces.Doesthiscreateanundesirabledualloyaltyandunderminethebondbetweencitizens

andtheUnitedStates?Orisitanaturalandevenadvantageousreflectionoftheinterconnectednessthatcomeswithglobalization?

Qualificationsforcitizenship.Currently,naturalizedcitizensmustdemonstrateafamiliaritywithU.S.historyand

government.Butsomecriticssuggestthattherequirementsshouldbestrengthenedtoensurethatnewcitizensarebetterprepared

toparticipateinthedemocraticprocess,andthatit’slegitimatetoimposehigherstandardsofpoliticalknowledgeonwould-be

citizensthanarerequiredofnative-borncitizens.

Politicalparticipationbynoncitizens.Shouldlong-termnoncitizenresidentsoftheU.S.bepermittedtovoteinelectionsor

serveonjuries(asabillvetoedbyGov.JerryBrownwouldhaveallowed)?SuchopennesscouldmaketheU.S.anattractiveplace

forcitizensofothercountrieswhomightbemorewillingtolive(andinvest)incommunitieswheretheywouldhaveasayoverhow

theyweregoverned,thoughitalsowouldremoveanincentivetopursuingfullcitizenship.

Educationincitizenship.ProposedCommonCoreacademicstandardshavebeencriticizedfortreatingtheDeclarationof

IndependenceandtheConstitutionas“sourcesofinformation”andnotasblueprintsforpoliticalengagement.Shouldpublic

schoolsdomoretoinculcatevaluesofpatriotismandcivicparticipation?

Corporatecitizenship.HaveSupremeCourtdecisionsallowingcorporationsandunionstospendmoneyonpoliticalcampaigns

underminedtheroleofindividualcitizensinAmericandemocracy?ShouldtheConstitutionbeamendedtodecreasetheroleof

8/7/2019 Editorial: The meaning of U.S. citizenship - Los Angeles Times

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corporationsandwealthyindividualsinthepoliticalprocess?Isthereapositivenotionof“corporatecitizenship”towhichprofit-

makingbusinessesshouldsubscribe?

Citizens’influenceingovernment.Althoughsomestates,includingCalifornia,allowcitizenstoenactlawsdirectlythrough

initiativesandreferendums,ingeneralAmericandemocracyisoftherepresentativeorindirectvariety.Advancesintechnology

makeitpossibleforadramaticincreasenotonlyintheexpressionofpoliticalopinionsbutalso,potentially,inpublicaccesstothe

ballotbox.Shouldofficialsseizeonthatopportunitytoencouragemorecitizenstoexercisetheirrighttoself-government?

Thefuture.Immigration,globalizationandtechnologyallhavetaxedtraditionalnotionsofcitizenship,butaretherewaysto

reinvigorateparticipationinciviclifethatwouldgivemodernmeaningtotheidea?Inshort,yes.

ThisispartofanongoingconversationexploringthemeaningofcitizenshipinAmericatoday.Formore,joinusat

latimes.com/citizenshipand#21stCenturyCitizen.We’dlovetohearfromyou.Shareyourthoughts,rebuttalsandexperiences

withusatletters@latimes.com.

FollowtheOpinionsectiononTwitter@latimesopinion

 

TheTimesEditorialBoard

TheTimes’editorialboarddeterminestheeditorialpositionsoftheorganization.Theeditorialboardopinesontheimportantissues

oftheday–exhorting,explaining,deploring,mourning,applaudingorchampioning,asthecasemaybe.Theboard,whichoperates

separatelyfromthenewsroom,proceedsonthepresumptionthatserious,non-partisan,intellectuallyhonestengagementwiththe

worldisarequirementofgoodcitizenship.

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