Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Two immigration articles: dual citizens + citizenship and municipal ID cards

The LA Times has an article about dual citizens. There are those who question the loyalty of dual citizens and other bicultural people. Is it wrong to immigrate just for economic reasons? Is that like having a one-night stand? Is it wrong - or dangerous - to have some loyalty to two nations?

However, sometimes folks are able to take the best of the United States to their other home countries. The article features Salvador Gochez Gomez, who is teaching people in his native El Salvador the basics of democracy.

In another article, a coalition in Oakland, California is seeking a city ID card. This will bring undocumented immigrants out of the shadows and enable them to, for example, seek police protection without fear of being deported. Of course, the anti-immigrant nutcases are all over this.

The article also mentions certain American social groups who may have incomplete or inaccurate forms of formal identification, like the transgendered, the homeless and elderly African Americans born in the south. Many of the latter were born at home and lack birth certificates.

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