It is not every day that I wish that I could vote in the US

by pwm

9 comments

1 Ausonio { 03.22.08 at 4:38 pm }

Curious…why wouldn’t you pursue dual citizenship? What drawbacks are there? You get access to the best of both countries.

2 L-girl { 03.24.08 at 9:46 am }

“You get access to the best of both countries.”
I wonder what the “best of” the US is that you’d get access to…?
Why *would* you want to become a citizen? I can’t see it. And don’t worry about not voting. They don’t count the votes anyway.

3 Paul Martin { 03.24.08 at 10:16 am }

Wow, there’s actual discussion happening in the comments to my wee blog!
This is a good question. On one level, the postmodernist or cosmopolitanist in me likes the idea of being able to multiple national identities. On the other level, though, although dual citizenship with Canada is allowed (tolerated?) by the US, as part of the American citizenship ceremony you need to renounce your allegiance to any other country. That’s just not something I could do, at least at this point in my life.
This comes up in my classes sometimes, as students do ask me if I’m going to become an American citizen. My open honesty about how at the moment I really have no interest in doing so clearly makes some of them uncomfortable. I try to explain that this has almost everything to do with my strong connection to Canada and is not an indication of some sort of negative feelings about the United States. As it is, my tax dollars right now are going to fund a war that I feel is terribly wrong. I don’t think that being a citizen here would make me any more connected to this terrible war than I already am as someone who is helping to fund it each and every day.

4 L-girl { 03.25.08 at 6:36 pm }

“On the other level, though, although dual citizenship with Canada is allowed (tolerated?) by the US, as part of the American citizenship ceremony you need to renounce your allegiance to any other country.”
I’m not sure where you got that information, but it’s incorrect. I know several Canadians and Brits who now have US citizenship, and none of them had to renounce anything.
“My open honesty about how at the moment I really have no interest in doing so clearly makes some of them uncomfortable.”
Well, of course. Americans are taught to believe that US citizenship is the pinnacle, the status to which everyone aspires. That’s why people who choose to leave are attacked and loathed – in flies in the face of this cherished, wrong-headed belief.
However, if for whatever reason you do choose go for US citizenship, you do not have to give up your Canadian citizenship to do so.
Sure wish I could get paragraph breaks to work in these comments! I’ve tried various html and css code, no luck. What’s your secret?

5 Paul Martin { 03.25.08 at 8:10 pm }

Actually, one does verbally renounce one’s ties to the other country, even though one is allowed to be a dual citizen. So, while I wouldn’t be giving up my Canadian citizenship, I would have a hard time saying the first part of the citizenship oath (not to mention the part about bearing arms!):
“I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by law; that I will perform noncombatant service in the Armed Forces of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law; and that I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God.”

6 AusonioUVM { 03.25.08 at 8:56 pm }

I can understand your desire not to renounce your Canadian citizenship in the American citizenship ceremony, however, the fact that you leave the door open (e.g. “not something I could do at this point in my life), shows that you’re not rock solid on this. It’s one thing if you had to give up your Canadian citizenship to obtain US citizenship, but this is not the case. Canada allows you to keep it. Would you really be renouncing your citizenship when you know fully well that you’re really not?
Lastly, L-girl, there are certainly advantages to dual citizenship – job opportunities, mobility, health care, education. Removing the border and the associated red tape can a great thing.

7 L-girl { 03.27.08 at 12:01 pm }

Ah, I didn’t realize you meant symbolically renounce. In that case, Canada requires the same thing of me, as I must swear a loyalty oath – to the Queen, no less! – in order to become a Canadian citizen.
But I view that as symbolic. You don’t have to *actually* renounce your Canadian citizenship, and I don’t have to actually renounce my US citizenship.
I don’t like that I will be made to take this oath, but I can’t get too hung up on the actual words spoken in an oath. That would only end up hurting me, as I do want Canadian citizenship.
* * * *
“there are certainly advantages to dual citizenship – job opportunities, mobility, health care, education. Removing the border and the associated red tape can a great thing.”
Perhaps. Or perhaps those are over-rated.
In Canada, being a Permanent Resident gives you the same rights and eligibilities to health care, education, etc. as being a citizen.
In the US, what health care and education are you talking about? What mobility and job opportunities would one lack being a Canadian with legal residence in the US as opposed to being a US citizen? I think the differences are exaggerated, but perhaps there are perks I’m not aware of.

8 xype.com { 06.19.08 at 7:30 am }

I can understand your desire not to renounce your Canadian citizenship in the American citizenship ceremony, however, the fact that you leave the door open (e.g. “not something I could do at this point in my life), shows that you’re not rock solid on this. It’s one thing if you had to give up your Canadian citizenship to obtain US citizenship, but this is not the case.

9 Brian { 12.07.08 at 5:27 pm }

I would like all the information about giving up my canadian citizenship and become an American who can I contact.