My dear friend Rooein came to the US about 12 years ago. He went to school here, worked, then graduated from law school. He learned all of our strange slang (although some of still eludes him) and eats all of our strange food. And this past week, Roo became one of us. He bought himself an american flag tie and got all sworn in. We threw a proper BBQ with flags and lots of Apple Pie (although Celeste's homemade one was by far the best) since that's what US folks eat.
It left me thinking about it means to be a citizen of a country. Strangely, whenever i hear the word "citizen" i think i'm in some futuristic sci-fi move rather than real life. Obviously, i struggle pretty hard with this concept because in general i like to see myself as a "world citizen"--although i recognize the power my little blue passport yeilds. I grew up singing songs that started "i'm proud to be an american, where at least i know i'm free...." that honored our military. I'm not sure if it was because we lived in a state wtih a strong military presence, because my father's side were military, or because i was just honestly more patriotic as a kid--but i loved that song. I still know all the words. I don't think i know all the words to the national anthem, however.
Speaking of things i don't know, and luckily don't have to. Roo had to past some test about our history i guarentee you i cannot pass---nor can probably 75% of US Citizens. I think it is stuff you learn in high school---and of course, i went to high school in Canada.
So, tell me what it means to you to be a citizen of a country...what kinds of responsibilities/privileges/letdowns come with that?
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ReplyDeleteGreat question, and one I often think about. I have a few citizenships - one of which I gained as an adult. But, to be honest, I don't feel 100% 'at home' in any of them - especially as I haven't lived in any of those countries for a while now...and so it leaves me, well, confused?
ReplyDeleteI have realized that I have to separate citizenship from culture...the two are I think usually both linked to identity/belonging, but I think that for multiculturalists - and for monoculturalists-that-hold-multiple-citizenships - this often becomes a limbo, either where you feel connected to various countries yet not 100% within one because of the others' pulls, or where you have no conection to one of the countries you hold a passport to because you have never built a relationship with it. At least that is how it is for this multi culturalist'n'citizenshipist.
Living in a country you don't hold citizenship to makes gaining citizenship a passport (literally and figuratively) to an easy-peasy to stay'n'living in the country and in general (from a legal perspective) to be treated like everyone else there in terms of opening bank accounts, purchasing things, gaining employement, just staying without a visa, etc, something often very much not the case when you don't have citizenship.
A letdown that I can think of comes with if you are required to give up your original citizenship to get the new one, or at a certain age choose one over the other (if you are born with more than one). These requirements are just silly, especially in today's world with cross-country living and multi-citizenship marriages. Silly, and annoying.