Throughout this semester, my nationality has come into question several times. While it has been entertaining to see it debated, it has often lead to me wonder what really makes someone an American.
Let’s get this out of the way first: I’m American.
Although I may have lived overseas most of my life and plan to do so for my career, it does not change this basic fact.
I may joke about being a “Global Citizen,” but in the end I can’t give any other answer but American. While I might be a quarter Vietnamese, the rest of me is the same conglomeration of nationalities that most Americans share.
Granted, my Twitter tease at the end of my columns — the one that says I’m from Poland —probably hasn’t helped.
Yet having lived as a “third-culture kid” for the majority of my life, I probably couldn’t have put anything down that wouldn’t have been confusing. Try asking almost any third-culture kid where they’re from, and you will most likely get an interesting, but not straightforward, answer.
Should I have made it Brunswick, Ga., where I was born?
Should I change it to Covington, where I lived the longest in Louisiana?
Should it be where I first became politically aware: Phnom Penh, Cambodia?
To quote LeBron James, “What should I do?”
In the end, I decided to go with Warsaw, the place where I graduated from high school and still sometimes consider home.
While I thought I made my nationality pretty obvious throughout my articles, apparently the line at the end is what really counts.
Again, though, I still wonder what it takes for most people to consider someone an American. In a time where illegal immigration is a hot issue and where some insane people have questioned whether the president is American, this could be a pretty important question.
For example, the 14th Amendment has recently come into question by many politicians.
A child born in America is automatically a citizen of the United States, regardless of whether or not the parents are, or even if they’re in the country legally.
This has led to what people have called “Anchor Babies,” which some people falsely believe allows illegal families to make it into the U.S. easily. However, despite the child’s status as an American citizen, they would not be able to file a visa for their parents until they turn 21.
So, if some people believe being born in the states doesn’t make you an American citizen, there must be other ways to qualify.
A constantly recurring issue is the assertion that illegal aliens “freeload” off those who do actually pay taxes.
Taxpayers actively contribute to the nation, so I can see the merits of this argument.
While paying taxes may seem like a reasonable way to consider someone a citizen of the country, this causes a problem when one takes into account those without the means to pay taxes.
Of course the citizenship test can’t be forgotten. I know people who have tried it and it’s not a walk in the park. And I would be amazed if most people in the country could pass the test right now.
To call someone an American based on this seems flimsy at best.
On the other hand, maybe there are some who shouldn’t be considered Americans. Throughout our country’s history we have witnessed those who have taken it on themselves to do harm to the country.
These people include domestic terrorists like Timothy McVeigh, the Unabomber and those who actively fight against our forces, like John Walker Lindh. Can we really consider these people Americans?
In the end, the question of nationality is hard to answer and will only get harder as globalization continues. As a nation known for being a melting pot of ethnicities and peoples, this really can’t be all too surprising.
Personally, all I think should matter in making someone an American is their allegiance to the country and their desire to help it. This, above everything else, is what’s truly important.
Zachary Davis is a 20-year-old history sophomore from Warsaw, Poland. Follow him on Twitter @TDR_zdavis.
 
—-
Contact Zachary Davis at [email protected]