Posted on 06/08/2008 3:25:27 PM PDT by null and void
For millions of Europeans who braved the Atlantic Ocean for a glimpse of the Statue of Liberty and dreams of a lavish life, there was little thought of ever emigrating back.
Yet for a new generation of Americans of European descent, the Old Country is becoming a new country full of promise and opportunity.
The creation of the European Union and its thriving economy is very appealing for Americans in a global economy.
"With an EU passport, I can live and work in 27 countries," said Suzanne Mulvehill of Lake Worth. "With a U.S. passport, I can live and work in one."
Americans can claim citizenship in any of the 27 European countries that are in the EU based on the nationality of their parents, or in some cases, grandparents and great-grandparents. Citizenship in one of those countries allows you to live and work in any EU nation.
Since the United States doesn't keep statistics on dual citizens, it's impossible to know exactly how many people have applied for citizenship in Europe. But it's estimated that more than 40 million Americans are eligible for dual citizenship, and a growing number of Americans want to try their luck elsewhere.
"I have to say that over the past few years, calls I never would have received before have been made to the office," said Sam Levine, an immigration attorney in Palm Beach Gardens. "It's not like a tidal wave, but it's certainly more substantial, and it's remarkable."
He's receiving calls from people like Mulvehill, executive director of the Emotional Institute, a Lake Worth-based company that trains entrepreneurs.
Mulvehill's mother was born in Romania, which became a member of the European Union last year.
She's obtaining Romanian citizenship, which she estimates will have taken about three years, a ton of paperwork, $750 in fees and a trip to the Romanian consulate in Washington.
But once she receives the passport, probably early next year, she'll be able settle anywhere in the EU.
"I recognized for the first time in my life that being American had limits," Mulvehill said, "and that if I really wanted to become what I call a global citizen, then I needed to tap into all my resources to expand my ability to serve entrepreneurs not just in Lake Worth, which is one town, and not just in Florida or in America or North America, but on the globe."
Globalization is a word on the mind of Lauren Berg, a recent college graduate from Michigan who is obtaining Greek citizenship based on her grandfather. She plans to move to Paris, brush up on her French and engross herself in the European business world.
"It's definitely a really good thing to have on your résumé with business going so global," Berg said. "I probably never would have done it if it wasn't for the EU, but at the same time I've always been extremely proud of my Greek heritage."
Dual citizenship once viewed as unpatriotic
But not everyone is so excited about this increasing trend.
"I understand the impulse: You can get a better deal over there," said Stanley Renshon, a professor at the City University of New York and former president of the International Society of Political Psychology. "Whether it's good for the American national community is quite a different question."
Renshon belongs to a faction of immigration experts that believes dual citizenship diminishes the American identity.
"The devaluation of American citizenship for the sake of comparative advantage strikes me as fairly self-centered," Renshon said.
Dual citizenship became a major issue during the War of 1812, when the British military tried recruiting, and in some cases forcing, British-born American citizens to fight on Britain's side.
For years, being a dual citizen was seen as unpatriotic, and until 1967 it was possible for the United States to revoke American citizenship for people who voted in foreign elections.
But in the 1967 Afroyim vs. Rusk decision, Supreme Court justices ruled 5-4 that it was unconstitutional to bar dual citizenship.
"It was the high point of the 1960s and individual rights," said Noah Pickus, the associate director of the Kenan Institute for Ethics at Duke University. "So the notion that you could take a citizenship away from somebody would seem to violate the basic notion of individual choice."
Today, immigrants who become American citizens have to swear that they renounce their previous citizenship, but it's more of a symbolic gesture, and Renshon said it's actually difficult to renounce a citizenship.
One of the biggest advocates of dual citizenship is Temple University professor and author Peter Spiro, who believes that defining one's identity by his citizenship is a thing of the past.
"There are really no harms caused by individuals having additional citizenship these days," Spiro said. "It's the wave of the future, because more and more people are going to have it. It's going to multiply on an exponential basis going forward."
And as the value of the euro - the currency shared by 15 EU countries - rises and America's economy slumps, it's an attractive alternative for Amber Alfano, a recent University of Florida graduate who is becoming an Italian citizen like her father.
"I'm doing it as an exit strategy of sorts," Alfano said. "I like knowing that I have another place to go if things get even worse here, or if I just get tired of running on the American mouse wheel.
"My dad was actually the one who put a bug in my ear about the whole citizenship thing. He said that Europeans are more interested in the quality of life than the quantity, and that it was a good place to have and raise children because of the way their social systems work. I don't care much about the child-rearing part, but I would gladly trade in some of my material possessions for a little flat, a scooter and more vacation."
The grass might be greener ... for now
Levine, the Palm Beach Gardens immigration attorney, was born in Canada and has received calls from people also interested in obtaining Canadian citizenship. He also understands the European appeal. He said he's proud to be an American and proud of what the U.S. has accomplished on a global scale in the last century but that there are some advantages to living elsewhere.
"You have to look at things like how hard people work here and how little vacation time people get here," Levine said. "A lot of people who live in Europe might not make same amount of money as Americans, but in some senses it's a kinder, more gentle lifestyle."
When Alfano went to fill out her paperwork at the Italian consulate in Coral Gables, she said "the waiting room was full of second- and third-generation Americans (of Italian descent) picking up passports."
Pickus said he's heard stories of parents getting their children European citizenship as an 18th birthday present - "We didn't get you a car, but we got you an Italian citizenship."
Some, like seasonal Vero Beach resident Tony Monaco, who has been trying to get Italian citizenship based on his grandfather, bought property in Italy and learned that taxes would be much lower if he was a citizen.
For those who are moving for the EU economic boom, Hudson Institute senior fellow John Fonte - one of the nation's leading immigration experts and critics of dual citizenship - warns that it might not last.
"I think it's a short-term phenomenon," Fonte said. "I don't think the European economy in the long run will do that well because it's a heavy socialist welfare state in most of the countries."
Mulvehill, the Lake Worth entrepreneur trainer, taught a course at Lynn University and encouraged her students to obtain dual citizenship if they were eligible.
"Expand your possibilities. If you can get citizenship, why not?" she said. "The world is a bigger place than America. Look at what technology has done, creating a global economy. That, in my opinion, is what has created this phenomenon."
Every country has its own process for obtaining citizenship.
Ireland, Italy and Greece are among the most lenient in terms of letting an individual claim citizenship not just from a parent but from a grandparent or possibly a great-grandparent.
Even in countries that allow an individual only to claim descent based on a parent, in many cases the new citizen can pass the citizenship on to his child.
Eric Hammerle, a Vero Beach resident whose father was born in Germany, said it was easy for him and his 16-year-old son Nick to become German citizens.
They acquired the necessary documents - birth, marriage and death certificates - and took them to the German consulate in Miami.
"The whole process took about 20 minutes," Hammerle said. "They read over the documents, came back and said, 'Congratulations, Germany has two new citizens.' It was a fee of $85."
Any American citizen who was born in the Canal Zone is automatically a Panamanian citizen according to Panamanian law. (Reference John McCain.)
I love it.
I visited Cuba on my other passport.
It was by no means a vacation.
It was an important life learning experience.
“DUAL CITIZENSHIPS should be made ILLEGAL for U.S. citizens — and that would solve A LOT of problems for the American citizen and taxpayer.”
How so? Please explain.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
ect.
“*******All you “dual-citizenship” folks——go——AND STAY THERE!!*******
And don’t let the American door hit you on the a$$ as you leave!”
______________________
This is why I live in the Republic of Panama. This is truly paradise.
Obviously, you do not have more than one passport.
Wait until you have your back against some terrorists demanding passports, and the only one you have is your U.S.
Good luck in your murder which could have been prevented.
“THERE IS NO BETTER PLACE TO LIVE THAN THE USA.”
It sounds you have never lived outside the U.S.A. because you never would have said that.
There seems to be a lot of rhetoric on this issue, but little firsthand knowlege, so before you all start flaming me, think about what I’m saying.
My wife is a dual citizen of the US (naturalized), but born in Italy. She is proud of her US citizenship, and even though at the naturalization ceremony they asked that you rescind your citizenship of birth, she can’t: Italy won’t allow you to give it up, even if you tried. Once you’re Italian, you’re always Italian.
We live and work and pay taxes in the US, and NOT in Europe, so we both play our part, and despite being European, she’s actually moderately conservative. She, like I is disgusted by the leftward bend this nation is taking and is amazed that we find ourselves having to look to France, Italy and other conservative administrations in Europe for cues on how to run a conservative government. We don’t know what will happen in November, but it doesn’t look good. Did you know that Berlusconi just eliminated property taxes on first homes in Italy? Try getting either US party to pull that rabbit out of their hat...
I keep hearing the same mantras about US: love it or leave it, but having dual citizenship doesn’t mean you have to hate the US or love another country. It’s a simple matter of having more choices in life, whether you use them or not. No country is perfect and ultimately, the balance of pros and cons of either will determine where you should live.
Now think of this: we’ve thought of doing missionary work in nations that are openly hostile to Americans. Being known as an American will get you killed or persecuted, however having a passport from a “neutral” country can save your life. Wouldn’t you want to have that trap door? Think of St. Paul, who gained direct court with the Roman Emperor, simply because he was a Roman citizen, despite being from Judeah. That was a perfect example of making use of a second “citizenship”.
As the years go by, I have come to recognize that neither the Dems or the Pubs really give much of a rat’s rear-end about the average Joe in the US, and are in it for themselves. If my government doesn’t care about me, except at tax time, why should I feel an overwhelming sense of devoting to the politicians? I love this country, but I mourn for what she’s becoming. She is not the US I grew up with.
Two final things: why all the emphasis on the value of being a US citizen, when we leave the borders open and try to grant amnesty to millions of illegals? Does that not cheapen the value of who we are as a nation? Does that not make you feel that your rights as a citizen are no better than an illegal’s? Voting rights? This is not a direct democracy...our votes are for trends at best. In the long run, the electoral college and faceless “delegates” decide who gets nominations and elected.
Taxes: did you know that the US and Libya are the only two countries (that I know of) that track their citizens worldwide to pay taxes, even if you don’t live in the US? You pay taxes in your host country AND in the US. Granted there are tax treaties with many countries, it it still double-dipping on the part of the IRS. My wife doesn’t pay taxes to Italy, for example. Did you know that non-US citizens don’t pay capital gains on money invested in the US? But the Obamination now wants to double our percentage to nearly 30%?! Wake up and get informed. It pains me to say, all is not rosy in the good ol’ USA anymore. We’ve been sold a bill of goods, and until we take back our country to the roots it was founded on, options to “wait it out” overseas isn’t all so bad anymore. Funny, we fought a Revolutionary War over far less offenses than we tolerate from our government today. Unbelievable.....
“My example was taken from the experience a few years ago of a colleague who holds both US and Italian citizenships. He traveled to Italy and then from Italy to Germany on the Italian passport, rented a car, got into an auto accident and went to the nearest US consulate (I forget in which city) to get their help in straightening out the resulting mess. They looked at his Italian passport (remember, he didn’t have his US passport) and they told him to get lost.”
Stupid is what stupid does.
It was by no means a vacation.
It was an important life learning experience.
That would make a great vanity thread!
“So in other words, these people with dual-citizenship can vote in elections for both countries. Think about it....that pretty scary.”
No. You are the one who is scary because of your lack of understanding and knowledge.
I’d love to pick that apart point by point.
I can’t.
It’s spot-on.
I hate that...
I admit for reasons I can’t explain, I was a tad callus to a lot of things I saw...apartment building falling apart in front of my eyeballs. I felt I could do nothing about it…Negligible lights over Havana at night as I looked out my wonderful “for foreigners only” first class hotel window.
It wasn’t until we were driving back to the airport, we skirted some areas outside of Havana that looked like those photos after WWII of Germany and elsewhere…. I have never, ever, seen such destruction that I saw in these decaying buildings.
I would love to go back calmly and discreetly photograph what I witnessed.
That hasn't been my experience.I've done a fair amount of overseas travel since I got my Irish passport.I always use the Irish passport to enter a foreign country for two reasons...1)entering a member nation of the European Union with an Irish passport is a lot quicker and easier that using my US passport...plus,I think EU law requires me to do so but I'm not sure...and 2)when traveling elsewhere I fear (rightly or wrongly) that being identified as a US citizen in certain parts of the world is far more dangerous than being identified as an Irish citizen.
Also...I've never been given the least bit of hassle by US Immigration Agents when presented with my US passport that lacks any foreign visas.That doesn't mean it never happens...it just means that it's never happened to me.
I was in a very similar situation and it didn't prevent me from getting it.The Irish consulate accepted my grandmother having been born in Ireland after having been given a copy of her marriage certificate and death certificate...both or which listed her birthplace as "Ireland".If,by chance,you wish to pursue the matter I'd suggest that you give it a try.You just might be able to do it...particularly if Irish authorities haven't changed their policy since I made my application.
I understand your concern about being identified as a US citizen when overseas, but I haven’t had any problems in that regard. Most Europeans are smart enough to understand the difference between a government’s policies (with which they may disagree) and its people. And on many occasions, especially in France and Belgium, I have been treated very kindly by older people who are still grateful to the US for its help during and after WWII.
Not sure I understand what your point is. It appears that this is a problem.
Excellent read concerning this subject - http://www.cis.org/articles/2005/dualcitizenship.html
“....Voting Abroad: Some Issues
Voting is a critical and basic right of membership in any democratic community, but perhaps especially so in the United States. There it is, as noted, an absolutely integral part of democratic theory and American political development. With that right, however, comes great responsibility. Citizens are asked to give their informed choice, not just their vote. They are asked to frame their vote through the lens of national community interest, not merely self interest. It has been assumed for many centuries that the “national community interest” spoken of here is in fact the interest of the American national community, not the interest of a foreign country. Trying to do justice to both community and self interest in a citizen's voting decisions is hard enough. Throwing in the interests of a citizen's country of origin places too much unnecessary and counterproductive weight on top of what is already a difficult set of citizen calculations.
It is said that allowing American citizens to vote abroad will encourage democracy. Yet a review of the evidence suggests this is not necessarily the case. Americans who vote in foreign elections do so to further what they see as their own self-interest.23 The idea that immigrant communities will necessarily foster democracy overlooks the fact that many political parties and interests in the “home country” are now seeking to organize their nationals abroad. Some of these groups are indeed democratic, as most Americans understand that word. However, some are not. During the civil war in El Salvador, the Marxist guerilla group FMLN “organized the Salvadorian communities abroad for solidarity and support activities.”24...”
No, I retired at the beginning of 2000. I agree with your recommendations to trhe Romanian woman. The State Department recommends that the traveller should use their US passport to leave and enter the US.
Unfortunately, those who go, will declare themselves Americans at any sign of trouble.
Parasite mentality.
I don't fear being identified as a US citizen while in Europe.It's Africa,Asia and South America that I have in mind.I use my Irish passport in Europe because of the ease with which I can enter and leave when using it.
Federal law *requires* that a US citizen enters and leaves the US using their US passport regardless of whatever other passports he/she might hold.
Excuse me??? I was born and brought up within 10 miles of where the battles of Lexington and Concord took place.I went to school here.I'm a Vietnam-era vet,having served honorably in the United States Army.I pay taxes.**Boy**,do I pay taxes! I vote...obey the law....
In spite of your urgings to the contrary,I think I'll stay.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.