Mixed Feelings

I had planned on writing about something fun, like my adventure today on Karl-Marx Allee, but then I got caught up in a blog post about citizenship laws in France and now that's all I can think about. Too bad for you guys!

As most of you know, my interests lie in immigrant integration, education, and multiculturalism. Citizenship laws, and specifically dual-citizenship policies, also greatly interest me. This is likely due to my own dual-citizenship status, what it means for me, and what it means in the context of immigrant integration.

I have mixed feelings about my own dual-citizenship status. My initial thoughts are positive mixed with a large amount of relief. "Thank GOD I have citizenship," I think, when I hear American friends here in Berlin bemoan their semi-legal statuses, under-employment, and misadventures at the Ausländeramt (Immigration Center). In order to work legally in Germany without an EU passport, they have to show they have a particular skill needed by an employer which that employer cannot find from a potential German or other EU employee. They also have to find an employer willing to sponsor them for a work-permit. I don't have these types of problems.

My issues with dual-citizenship stem more from the hypocrisy I find in societies that employ a jus sanguinis (blood line) citizenship policy while concurrently making it extremely difficult for immigrants or children of immigrants to obtain the same document based on their different ethnic or cultural origins. Germany's jus sanguinis policy changed a little over a decade ago and now does include a component more like the US's jus soli (birthplace) citizenship policy by allowing non-native Germans born in the country to receive citizenship, but dual citizenship is not allowed after age 18. This means that kids who grew up in Germany but have Turkish (or another nationality's) citizenship because of their parents have to make a decision within 5 years which passport they want to keep. No one has ever asked me to make that sort of decision.

And why not? Because besides being "ethnically German" (one whole fourth! give me a break), I'm American. I'm American, highly-educated, a native English speaker, and "Western." In truth, Germany would love to have more people like me in their country. Although often left out of the public citizenship/immigration debate, countries like Germany and the US NEED IMMIGRANTS. Birth rates are low in these countries, and when societies do not meet their replacement rates, big problems ensue. The US is only just barely maintaining their replacement rate and this is thanks to higher birth rates from immigrant groups. But most of the time, the discussion over who should have citizenship and who shouldn't is focused on the lower-skilled or illegal immigrant. Those considered problematic in society. The US and EU know they need more highly skilled immigrants, but aren't doing enough to educate their populations on this reality and instead, you have people in the US advocating for a repeal of the 14th Amendment (birthright citizenship) as a way to decrease the number of illegal immigrants when it would instead do exactly the opposite.

I would also argue that citizenship status is really only a first-step. An important first-step, sure. It symbolizes one's acceptance into society, is important for employment, and awards one certain political rights. Yet without institutionalized integration efforts, a passport is only a document. It doesn't mean everyone is on equal ground because it doesn't mean those with different skin colors, names, or church types won't be discriminated against. And it certainly doesn't mean that societies can ignore their responsibility to ensure the political, economic, and social integration of their newcomers. Or in many cases, of the children of their newcomers that have grown up in their country and know no other home.

I could write so much more but am sure not all of you find this as fascinating as I. Should you be interested, here is a link to the original blog post that sparked this one and my comments.

Photo: Winter sunset at Alexanderplatz