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My father was born in Dublin and came here when he was 2 and served in WWII. My mother's family has been here since New York was Dutch. And I eligible, being that I'm over 35?

I got a better one. I was born in the US. Both my parents were born in the US. All four of my grandparents were born in the US. But my great grandfather, on my mother's father's side, was born in Italy, immigrating here in 1913. He didn't become a citizen, renouncing his Italian citizenship, until 1943, well after my grandfather was born (and a year before another of his sons was killed fighting in Normandy).

Under Italian law, which is juris sanguinis-based, I am considered an Italian citizen, since my grandfather never renounced his Italian citizenship (he never knew he had it) and my mom never renounced her Italian citizenship (she never knew she had it).

Today, if I come up with a bunch of documentation, I can get an Italian passport. This does not mean I have to apply for Italian citizenship. In their eyes, I already am a citizen.

Now, am I a natural born US citizen?

If the answer is "No," suppose my great grandfather had been born in, say, Spain, which has no law allowing citizenship to the great grandchildren of emigrants. I presume then that the answer would have to be "Yes," that I am a natural born citizen. But then the problem is that the only difference is a difference of foreign law, and you're allowing foreign law to dictate who is and isn't a natural born citizen.

I've also heard stories that my father didn't become a citizen until sometime during WWII when he was stationed in Texas (ditto his little brother). They got a telegram from my grandparents because there was something wrong with there status here or something ... I can't give all the details because, well, I'd have to get them from my father, and being Irish, that could take a while. Especially if beer is involved.

But apparently, he's a citizen of Texas.