In the modern world, nearly two millennia after the fall of the Roman Empire, mothers can instill love of country as readily as fathers.
No judge or member of Congress is going to try to equate Ted Cruz’ first 4 years of life in Canada against his 38 years of life in the U.S. with a mother from Delaware.
And as we know from the cesspool of daytime talk television’s obsession with paternity tests, the persons named as fathers are sometimes NOT the true father; Barack Obama Senior, Frank Marshall Davis or Malcolm X anybody? Stanley Ann Dunham was born in Wichita, Kansas, Barack Obama Senior born in Kogelo, Kenya, Frank Marshall Davis was born in Arkansas City, Kansas and Malcolm (ne’e) Little born was in Omaha, Nebraska.
In today’s brave new world, we also have tens of thousands of children (estimates are between 20,000 and 60,000 per year) conceived by artificial insemination where the identity of the male sperm donor is unknown.
But for a country different from that of the Father's country? How does that work? Since the Roman Empire, the Mother always clung to the Father, and his country WAS her country. Dividing nationality in a marriage is only a recent phenomena which did not exist prior to 1922.
And as we know from the cesspool of daytime talk television’s obsession with paternity tests, the persons named as fathers are sometimes NOT the true father;
American law recognizes only the father of the marriage. In terms of what the child is exposed to, that is all that matters. The child is taught to love the same country as the Father of the marriage. From a practical standpoint, the Biological father is only relevant if he remains in the child's life. From a legal standpoint, he doesn't matter.