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Essay about I Am An American

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Since the 1800s, immigration has been considered a problem that is out of control in the United States. Government officials have claimed that the issue of birthright citizenship is the core of the dispute over immigration. To try and remedy this situation, holders of public office have held hearings and debates in an attempt to “redefine” what it means to be an American citizen. Birthright citizenship is the term used to refer to the citizenship that is granted to an individual who is born on the associated territory. Providing an individual with citizenship of any state or country means that one now has the rights, privileges and duties of a citizen in the related region. In the United States, birthright citizenship is a highly …show more content…

This text implies that any individual, no matter their original location, is subject to the privileges of an American citizen. Some argue that the language of the Fourteenth Amendment has been misinterpreted and abused as time has passed. The backbone for this argument? — “Subject to the jurisdiction thereof.” In the Fourteenth Amendment, this phrase holds the key to why birthright citizenship can be deemed unconstitutional. Government officials say that these key words were put in the constitution to specifically to exclude Native Americans born on reservations and any other foreign national. In 1884, the case of Elk vs. Wilkins was brought to the attention of the U.S. Supreme Court. In this case an Indian named John Elk, who was born on a reservation within the U.S. border, was denied the right to vote by Charles Wilkins even though he had moved to a non-reservation territory and separated himself from his tribe. Elk argued that he deserved the right to vote as a U.S. citizen because based on the Fourteenth Amendment he was granted automatic citizenship for being born in the United States. The U.S. Supreme Court came to the conclusion that Elk was not considered an American citizen just because he was within U.S. jurisdiction. It was stated that in order to be considered a citizen of the United States, you cannot owe

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