“I would personally say that living in two cultures has given me a perspective of the world of how different cultures and different countries interact and that there is more in the world than simply the culture of where I live or where I have lived,” says freshman Andres Zimmermann on being a citizen of the United States and Germany.
The feeling of being a part of two cultures is a common idea amongst those with dual citizenships. A dual citizenship is when one is legally a citizen in two different countries. Along with easier traveling options and having to pay less when visiting museums, holding a dual citizenship means being a part of more than one culture.
Being a part of two cultures often comes with a unique sense of pride as well as a feeling of connection to a part of oneself. As junior Kaitlin Araghi shares about being a citizen of the United States and Iran, “It puts into writing the ties I have with both countries, and it is special to me that I have this bond with another place”.
Both Araghi and Zimmerman have had their dual citizenships since birth, and obtained theirs in similar ways. Both Araghi and Zimmermann’s fathers happen to be immigrants who wanted their children to be a citizen of the country from which they immigrated “[My father] wanted to give us that chance to be a part of that [Iranian] culture, and citizenship there would be the best way to that,” Araghi says.
It is important to note that citizenship policy varies from country to country.
Zimmermann’s father is a German citizen and his mother was an American citizen. Andres inherited both citizenships; this is due to the fact that both the United States and Germany grant citizenship independent of other countries. In addition to this, Zimmermann’s children will also inherit both citizenships, should he register them.
Araghi has a very similar case. Right when she was born, her father obtained her birth certificate from the United States and applied for citizenship with Iran. This would give her citizenship in Iran as well as the United States. Her father went through the same process of registering for a dual citizenship at birth for her younger brother and sister. While Araghi maintains citizenship in both Iran and the United States, Iran does not recognize dual citizenship. If Araghi were to travel to Iran, she would be treated as an Iranian citizen without regard for her American citizenship.
Other people may obtain a dual citizenship through marriage or naturalization. Or, like in Araghi and Zimmermann’s cases, one can acquire a dual citizenship at birth. Though it varies from country to country, at times, when both parents are citizens of different countries, their children can inherit both citizenships.
There are many practical benefits of having a dual citizenship — for example, the convenience of travel. When traveling, one is considered a citizen rather than a tourist. In addition to being under the legal protection of the country, it helps the individuals to feel at home in a place where they do not live.
However, according to Investopedia, there are also some disadvantages to dual citizenships that affect parents more than students. Citizens with dual citizenships are required to be loyal to both countries that they are citizens of. This requires abiding by the laws of both countries. In addition, they may be subjected to double taxation. This means the citizens would have to pay income taxes to the country where the income was earned as well as their other country of citizenship.
Despite some challenges that their parents may have to work through, for these two high school students, the dual citizenships have opened the door to a deeper appreciations of different cultures through the legal bond that ties them to two countries.
