[Velveeta]

Oy, I’ve got a headache. ;-)

My understanding, growing up with the topic, was that at the time if only one parent was a citizen, it had to be the father, as only the father could confer citizenship.

Funny, this is bringing back all kinds of memories of grade school discussions. Growing up in an Eastern European neighborhood of Chicago, many of us were in the same predicament at the time. I remember a teacher singling out those of us who were not natural born and saying - you and you and you and you, you can not be president.

We all shrugged our shoulders at the time. Like I wanted to be president? No way, I was aiming for ballerina princess.

[mnehring]

My understanding, growing up with the topic, was that at the time if only one parent was a citizen, it had to be the father,

I believe this changed in 53 which overturned the 1870 code that listed 'father' and changed it to 'parent'. The only exception I remember in Title 8 was for a child of 'single parentage' (ie parent's arent' married), thus, obviously, the mother is whom is listed.

[mnehring]

teacher singling out those of us who were not natural born and saying - you and you and you and you, you can not be president.

Recently I saw a lesson plan for a middle school online that erroneously said that only a person physically born in the US a natural born citizen with no exceptions listed for military personnel etc.

[calenel]

"My understanding, growing up with the topic, was that at the time if only one parent was a citizen, it had to be the father, as only the father could confer citizenship."

All of the gender specific language was dropped over the course of evolution of this issue. The term 'citizen father or citizen mother' appears at least as far back as 1934. The 14th amendment contains no gender specific language. I think you're covered.