8/7/2019 Editorial: The meaning of U.S. citizenship - Los Angeles Times
https://www.latimes.com/nation/la-ed-citizenship-part-1-20141005-story.html 1/7
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
https://www.latimes.com/nation/la-ed-citizenship-part-1-20141005-story.html 2/7
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.
ADVERTISING
inReadinventedbyTeads
8/7/2019 Editorial: The meaning of U.S. citizenship - Los Angeles Times
https://www.latimes.com/nation/la-ed-citizenship-part-1-20141005-story.html 3/7
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
https://www.latimes.com/nation/la-ed-citizenship-part-1-20141005-story.html 4/7
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
FollowtheOpinionsectiononTwitter@latimesopinion
TheTimesEditorialBoard
TheTimes’editorialboarddeterminestheeditorialpositionsoftheorganization.Theeditorialboardopinesontheimportantissues
oftheday–exhorting,explaining,deploring,mourning,applaudingorchampioning,asthecasemaybe.Theboard,whichoperates
separatelyfromthenewsroom,proceedsonthepresumptionthatserious,non-partisan,intellectuallyhonestengagementwiththe
worldisarequirementofgoodcitizenship.
Canadianpolicesay2bodiesfound,believedtobefugitivesinthreekillings
WhitesupremacistsandIslamicStaterecruitshavemoreincommonthanyoumightthink
