Americans - What does citizenship mean to you?

1. 87

   RJ Schwartzposted 7 years ago

   Americans - What does citizenship mean to you?
   
   With both illegal immigration and lawful immigration being daily news stories, I wondered what citizenship really means to people (in their own minds.)  It would seem that many people coming to America in recent years don't want to become American, but instead want to live in America and get all the benefits of living in America, while retaining their home-country culture, language, and in some cases they even want to import laws, such as Sharia.  It would seem that a disconnect exists somewhere.
   
   

   replyreport
2. 80

   jackclee lmposted 7 years ago

   That is easy. The disconnect is with the open borders people who thinks in a global village where all is welcomed and no such thing as illegal immigrants.
   
   They are causing the continued turmoil in our own country. The answer is simple. Go back to enforcing our immigration laws and insist on a controlled immigration policy that allow people who wants to come here and who has a contribution to our society and not a burden and who wants to assimilate to be Americans.  That is how immigration works in most other countries.
   Borders and language and culture is what defines a nation. Without it, you have chaos as you see in some western European nations...

   replyreport
3. 69

   shanmarieposted 7 years ago

   That's something I never really thought about until recently with all of the political upheaval regarding immigration. Growing up, it simply meant what it meant. A citizen of a certain place is someone who lives in or is from a particular place or country. And people who chose to become a citizen of a country that were not naturally born there received the added benefits of becoming a citizen.  And now as an adult, I put more emphasis on the added benefits and privledea, rights, etc. I mean, I grew up in an area that was fairly diverse. A state university town and I had friends from all over the world, so accepting immigrants and diversity has never been an issue for me. But once you've had to deal with the IRS over someone filing taxes using your husband's information, social security number and all. . .you can't help but see illegal immigration as a real problem.  It happens too often and it not only hurts citizens, but those who are here legally working. As Americans, unless we have dual citizenship somewhere, we cannot expect to go live in another country and get their benefits. We would have to get a work visa and support ourselves in every way or go home. I am not saying there arena exceptions to the rule because there may be, but for the most part, it seems pretty clear to me that country citizenship is not the same thing as living there. Besides, taking a test to become one and going through that process is pointless if just anyone should be treated like a citizen. So,as for the disconnect, I would say people maybe equate human rights with the rights of citizenship.

   replyreport