A Transient Citizen Essays

Citizenship can be defined as the position or status of being a citizen in a particular country (Oxford Dictionaries, 2016). This definition is not very broad, nor does it cover the many aspects of citizenship that exist in the 21st century. It is not only about being a legal citizen of a particular country, it is also about being a social citizen. You can be a citizen of Australia but choose to live elsewhere for the majority of your life. In terms of citizenship it is relevant on a political and social level. If you are actively contributing to the country in which you live in some ways you are fulfilling your duties as a citizen.

According to the Oxford dictionary the term citizenship can be defined as: “The state of being vested with the rights and privileges, and duties of a citizen.” In the short story ‘Borders’ by Thomas King the term citizenship is of main focus. Through the many borders that are presented within the story, King argues that citizenship overlooks culture and heritage, instead focusing on a single border: that being where the individual resides. The short story is narrated from the young boy’s perspective, as him and his mother struggle to cross the Canadian-American border to visit the young boy’s sister Latitia. The young boy and his mother are not able to cross the border

Are you a citizen? Maybe you are. Maybe you aren’t. A citizen is a legally recognized subject. Citizenship is a status given by the government. Rome and Athens had very different systems of citizenship. But which system, Athens’ or Rome’s, was better? Some say it was Rome.

This flies in the face of traditional methods of obtaining citizenship, one of those being honorable service to the United States of America (Jordan, 2011).

Citizenship was granted to those who proved to the court’s satisfaction that they were of good moral character and who took an oath of allegiance to the Constitution.”

The debate and controversy are turning heads, making newspaper headlines, and circulating the public’s atmosphere, concerning whether or not to enhance the Citizenship Clause. Based on the 14th amendment, anyone, no matter what race, born on the proud red, white, and blue soil of America has the right to become a citizen of the United States, similar to the “Birthright Citizenship Rule”. The Citizenship Clause curtails the Birthright Citizenship in certain cases. For example, the offspring of diplomats, attacking soldiers, and specific Native American tribe don’t have the right to Birthright Citizenship Rule. However, how do we concern those who are travelers and individuals who are residing in the United States temporarily for employment? Many individuals feel as though this certain dilemma causes the honorary citizenship of America worth less than before. As if we’re handing out citizenship as freebies to anyone.

I never truly thought about how my family had come to the United States. I assumed someone in my family, long ago, had decided that they wanted better for themselves and their family and had decided to come to the United States. It did not become a big deal for me until I found out that those people, who wanted better for themselves and their family, were my grandmother and grandfather. Up until then, I always took my citizenship for granted. I believed that being born in America was one of my natural rights that no one could take away when in reality it was a blessing and a privilege given to me by my grandmother and grandfather. I was born into a peaceful community, full of love and passion. Whereas my grandparents were born in a town

What is American Citizenship? Some people would argue that our idea of citizenship is what separates our country from the rest and makes us better than any country before. The first ten amendments of The Constitution, also known as the bill of rights, lays out basic rights for the citizens of America. This includes the freedom of speech, and the right to a fair and speedy trial. However, these rights also come with some responsibilities. Some are voluntary like participating in the democratic process and some are mandatory like obeying federal, state, and local laws (Remy, 2006, p. 391). Whether mandatory or not, all the responsibilities of American citizens are necessary to create the working democratic process that is seen today. American

American citizenship is and should be a birthright. It is law that anybody born on U.S. soil is automatically a citizen of these United States of America. “Jus Soli”, otherwise known as the right of soil”, was created off of the principles enacted within the Fourteenth Amendment to the constitution. We have abided by this law since July of 1868 and to repeal or even make efforts at reforming it would be a terrible

Become a citizen of one of the best nations in the world is a privilege that not many people have. I’m talking about the United States of America. If you are an U.S natural born citizen you have rights and responsibilities that protect you based on the Declaration of Independence and the U.S Constitution. People who are in the position to become U.S. citizens gain the same rights, privileges, and responsibilities of citizenship as natural born American with the only restriction that they can’t be eligible for President of the United States.

The question of whether national citizenship is still relevant as a nationally-ascribed designator of membership and rights is best answered with a single word: "Depends." Within the United States, national citizenship has conferred rights and duties that remain viable hundreds of years after their creation. Outside the United States, national citizenship is essentially irrelevant.

To become a citizen when you aren’t a native there is process. It relates sort of too Aristotle view that everyone is eligible to be a citizen. Today becoming a citizen you have to provide documents to prove your eligibility. Then become a permanent resident of a city. Also go through the naturalization process. In some ways today becoming a citizen and being a citizen in Aristotle time is similar. Aristotle believed that man should be eligible to become a citizen. In today’s era it’s the same people who aren’t native have to prove they are eligible. Everyone isn’t eligible there is people who fail the

Assuming that the participant has chosen to become a citizen out of personal or any other legal need, they have placed themselves in this act. Tracy and Trethewey (2005) present the argument of a crystallized self, a term that explains that there are multiple self that the human being may choose to portray at any given time, of course depending on the context. They state “discourses work to ‘fix’ identities in particular ways that favor some interests over others and thus constrain alternative truths and subject positions,” (p. 171). In this act or performance, the legal discourse of becoming a citizen is constructed to let the participants/performers know that the identity that is being presented to them is one that will reflectively aid the American citizen narrative they are to adopt. This is done while constraining the multiple, diverse identities or true personas of the participants. Stated on the USCIS website, there are two types of ceremonies, “in a judicial ceremony, the court administers the Oath of Allegiance. In an administrative ceremony, USCIS administers the Oath of Allegiance.” (USCIS.gov). Next, because the act of accepting and verbally repeating the Oath of Allegiance is of utmost importance, the website officially states “you are not a

Citizenship is highly coveted in many nations, so coveted in fact that through only a few processes can one become a citizen for most nations, might that process be natural birth or naturalization. Citizenship and its privileges were also highly valued in Rome, except becoming a citizen was extremely difficult if not impossible. Roman citizenship also leads to assassinations and war within the Italian peninsula. There is a complex history to Roman citizenship.

are allies so allegiance to the U.S.A. does not pose a problem for Alessandra. However, it is understandable that in some cases it might seem a conflict of nationalities. Most people seek citizenship status for convenience and do not have a very strong political agenda. They just want to peacefully work and raise their kids as best as they can in the country where they are making a living. Only very few are trying to take advantage of the process to be infiltrators or terrorists. Requiring renouncement of one’s former citizenship would be a deterrent for those people. Edward Snowden is a prime example that one does not need a dual citizenship status to go against American interests. Snowden had only U.S nationality, committed treason against the U.S.A and still managed to find a country to hide him. He declared that it was a matter of conscience (ironically it is moral basis) and he still claims allegiance to the