Are there any negatives to US Citizenship?

[Dakine 26]

US citizens can't visit Cuba legally

US citizens are prime targets for kidnapping and being held for ransom in some poorer countries

US citizens CAN travel to Cuba legally.

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1097.html#map

[Kathryn41 3,205]

US citizens CAN travel to Cuba legally.

http://travel.state....s_1097.html#map

I stand corrected. SOME US citizens are able to travel to Cuba legally under extremely restricted categories that require a license issued from the US Government before they are allowed to travel. The average US tourist who wants to participate in a Cuban holiday - even if it originates in Canada or Mexico - however, faces serious repercussions if they do not have a license:) and tourism does not qualify for a license.

ENTRY / EXIT REQUIREMENTS, TRAVEL TRANSACTION LIMITATIONS: The Cuban Assets Control Regulations are enforced by the U.S. Department of the Treasury and affect all U.S. citizens and permanent residents wherever they are located, all people and organizations physically located in the United States, and all branches and subsidiaries of U.S. organizations throughout the world. The regulations require that persons subject to U.S. jurisdiction be licensed in order to engage in any travel-related transactions pursuant to travel to, from, and within Cuba. Transactions related to tourist travel are not licensable. This restriction includes tourist travel to Cuba from or through a third country such as Mexico or Canada. U.S. law enforcement authorities enforce these regulations at U.S. airports and pre-clearance facilities in third countries. Travelers who fail to comply with Department of the Treasury regulations could face civil penalties and criminal prosecution upon return to the United States.

Edited April 4, 2010 by Kathryn41

[zaytoona 8]

I swear, people can be WAYYYYYY too sensitive.

[Davis1 1]

All of you talking bad about this great country on the face of the earth should not be here in the first place, and just go back to their home countries where they are from...SHAME ON YOU.I Just became USC and very proud to be a USC. I am blessed to be here.

[Udella&Wiz 325]

All of you talking bad about this great country on the face of the earth should not be here in the first place, and just go back to their home countries where they are from...SHAME ON YOU.I Just became USC and very proud to be a USC. I am blessed to be here.

Oh stop being a troll.....Ant's post was not intended in a negative way...but there's always someone who gets bent and screams 'Go home if you don't like it'...please, spare us. Very few folks on VJ became citizens because they dislike America. As some intelligent individual mentioned above...Free speech is a right and one can have one's own opinions whether they agree with everyone, no one or a few others.

T'would seem the new citizens are more ready to scream traitor then the naturally born ones

Edited April 4, 2010 by Udella&Wiz

[VanessaTony 3,567]

I completely agree with J.J. & Diana, starting a topic like this is borderline disrespectful, even if it is just a 'joke'. I can honestly tell you that I would proudly and happily serve on a jury and would not see it as an inconvenience whatsoever.

Sure there are negatives about being a citizen of any country, but being as USC has more positives than any other one. Some of us here have been waiting over a decade, in my case over two, to file for naturalization, it has been a dream of mine ever since I was a little kid. And I can't see any negatives at all.

This is disrespectful to every other country of which people on this forum are a native of. I personally find that Australia is better than the US in many ways, that doesn't mean I hate it, nor does it mean that I should "go home" because I simply disagree with your opinion that the US is the "promise land". The US might be better than your country but to assert that it is better than "any one" IS disrespectful to everyone else on this board. You are welcome to your opinion as are the rest of us.

[VanessaTony 3,567]

Sounds like some pretty poor "negatives". You're turning honors and duties into negatives. Though you already are a US citizen, if you had such a problem with, passports, jury's, taxes, being loyal and proud of your new country, why even bother? It seems more of a hassle to you than a privilege. It's an honor for the US to allow you to become a citizen, it's definitely not something any immigrant deserves or has a right to. While the whole "find 10 things bad about being a citizen" may be just a "game", it shows some pretty poor attitude about being granted the priviledge to live in the greatest, most free, most unique country to date.

As I stated to the other person, the US might be better than YOUR country but it's not better than mine in several ways.

This isn't about one country being better than the other, or that living in America sucks or anything like that. America simply isn't the "promise land" to everyone. It's all fine and dandy, and i'm lucky to be one of the many hundreds granted citizenship, but that doesn't mean that I, like American-born citizen's, don't find some things taxing. And honestly, as a dual citizen the notion that I must report all international income is ridiculous to me and IS a negative. if you live here and ONLY here, more power to you, but not all of us can, want to, or will.

[VanessaTony 3,567]

All of you talking bad about this great country on the face of the earth should not be here in the first place, and just go back to their home countries where they are from...SHAME ON YOU.I Just became USC and very proud to be a USC. I am blessed to be here.

Congrats that you "escaped" your awful and horrid home country. I live here because of my husband. I do not HATE America and nor do I HATE my country (as you apparently hate yours) but to constantly assert that it is the "best country" shows a very limited knowledge of the world. The whole point of travel is to visit other countries, experience other cultures.

I like the chocolate and bread and cheese in my home country and that my family is there. I love the gorgeous views in prague and switzerland. I love the history in Venice and Rome. I love the gelati in Italy, and the pizza and pasta. I loved visiting Monaco and seeing they drive Mercedes as their taxis. The world is a large place, and to hate on others simply because they express their dislike about some parts of a country is very narrow minded.

Please take a trip around the world and first experience other ways and other cultures before you start "hating" on others for expressing their knowledge that the US does some things backwards from other countries.

[VanessaTony 3,567]

Here is a quick list that I can think of, as to the negatives of US Citizenship....

1. The US Citizenship/N-400 process costs more time and money...$675....(even though it is optional)

2. US Citizens have to file US taxes on their worldwide income

3. US Citizens have to serve on a US jury if called for

4. US Citizens have to always travel overseas with US passports (not actually true...)

5. US Citizens have to be loyal to the US only. Some other countries do not allow dual/triple citizenships. If one becomes a -Citzen, depending on the other country, they can lose that other former country's citizenship.

6. US citizens (also Western culture) are prime targets for kidnapping and being held for ransom in some poorer countries

To continue from the OP...

7. The US lists the home country (nationality) on the passport

Some people have issues with this such as Columbia I believe who get very angry when you try and enter on a US passport and it lists Columbia as your home country

[DanielParul 50]

I see that a comment saying 'America is the greatest, most free, most unique country to date' offended a poster enough to justify 'I personally find that Australia is better than the US in many ways'.

Why do the same people get offended when people say its not right to talk negative about Aerica because it has accepted you and lets just respect the fact.

Maybe we can start a thread about 'Negatives to being an Australian or Canadian' and see the same people being a sport about their country's negative things.

[VanessaTony 3,567]

I see that a comment saying 'America is the greatest, most free, most unique country to date' offended a poster enough to justify 'I personally find that Australia is better than the US in many ways'.

Why do the same people get offended when people say its not right to talk negative about Aerica because it has accepted you and lets just respect the fact.

Maybe we can start a thread about 'Negatives to being an Australian or Canadian' and see the same people being a sport about their country's negative things.

I'm not sure whether you're agreeing with me or not but in reference to us giving neg's to living in Australia... music for one is kind of "filtered" in that we only hear the stuff that's gone commercial in the US (s'pose that could be bad or good). Stuff is EXPENSIVE! It doesn't snow over Xmas, have to admit that's pretty cool. It get crazy hot over summer. Possums are protected so even if they're in your roof you aren't allowed to kill them.. such a pain! If your neighbour wants a new fence you have to pay for 1/2 (as long as the fence NEEDS to be changed.. but even if you don't have the money, if a new fence is needed you MUST pay). You MUST enrol to vote at 18. That's bad because at 18 I didn't care, or pay attention. I know more now but then I just asked mum 'cause I didn't care. I think it should be a choice not a "must".

That's about all I can think of for now

[CaptainPenguin 5]

Meh. Hubby has no desire to apply for citizenship and I have no desire to spend even more money.

What about for the plain purpose of having the ultimate right to return ? As a permanent resident one can still be refuse entry to the US for various reasons, but not if you become a USC. Just curious...

[antda 13]

Hi Everyone,

Wow, what a lot of replies that I got here...

(sorry for the late reply though, as I'm still recovering from the flu...lol..)

Nevertheless.....

One of the rights we enjoy as Americans is the right to have this conversation right now, even if we disagree with the reason for doing so.

So yes, I do enjoy this conversation, agreements, disagreements, and everything else in between....

Again, I love being an American citizen and I CHOSE to do that, out of my own free will...

I don't regret about that decision, and if I had to do it all over again, I would....

My point of this conversation can be summed up in this way, as some others pointed out.......

I agree with this post...Im sure Ant loves being an american, and what this post is actually doing, is showing how hard it is to think of negatives about the country!!

Ant's post was not intended in a negative way...but there's always someone who gets bent and screams 'Go home if you don't like it'...please, spare us. Very few folks on VJ became citizens because they dislike America. As some intelligent individual mentioned above...Free speech is a right and one can have one's own opinions whether they agree with everyone, no one or a few others.

I (and my husband) wanted to see if see if anyone can come up with any negatives, to go alongside with the positives….

To every issue there is a good side and a bad side to it....

If we can find more in the good, than in the bad, that that says more about something, doesn't it?

I definitely had a hard time thinking of the negatives....

And because of that, it made me realize that there is more good than bad of American citizenship....

For example, politicians debate the good and bad of the issues every day (it’s their job!), and it is through this debate of both the positives and the negatives that issues do get brought up and eventually resolved.

The bottom line also of what I wanted to say was to make people think about things.....

I wish the US Citizenship forms and/or immigration officers did ask:

"Why do you want to or not want to to become a US Citizen"...

Now, I wonder what answers various answers would be to that one.....hmm.....

And really, it would make a lot of people "think" about this very important decision of obtaining US Citizenship...

There is no right or wrong answers as to why people want to become US Citizens...

But for whatever reason one wants to become a USC, then they should have a reason for such, and not just want to do it 'because everyone else is doing it'...

I really do want people to weight tbe pros and the cons of US Citizenship, before they pursue this path.....

Lol...I can only think of the pros/positives (which I actually mentioned in my cover letter of my US Citizenship application too....)......Which makes the negatives quite challenging for me to do.....And makes for an interesting bet!

And for the fun of it, as I mentioned before, it was for a bet...lol...

He being a natural-born USC does not fully understand what it is like going through the immigration process and in having the right to be such...

So he "challenged" me to come up with the negatives, knowing how hard that it would be for me to come up with such, especially more so that I’m positive for most of the time....

(lol..we are a quirky couple that way...we like debating issues for the fun of it…lol…)

Needless to say, I lost the bet...I couldn't come up with 10 reasons in time....

On the bright side, I can come up with more positives of becoming a US Citizen, and that goes to show that I did make the right choice in being a USC after all....

Thanks again to all those that participated in this message topic…Keep up the great work of exercising the “freedom of speech” here in America!

Ant

P.S. Lol…..

Maybe we can start a thread about 'Negatives to being an Australian or Canadian' and see the same people being a sport about their country's negative things.

Now that’s an idea too! Actually…Off the top of my head, I can think of one reason about the negatives of Canadian citizenship….

-Canadian Jury Duty….I actually received a notice for such, despite being a US Resident/Citizen at the time, and being several hundred miles away from Canada, here in the USA and with a newborn baby. Needless to say, it was a heck of a time trying to get out of that one, and having to explain about such. Oh well….

Lol...Does this make me any less of a Canadian? Don’t even get me started…..

[antda 13]

To continue from the OP...

7. The US lists the home country (nationality) on the passport

Some people have issues with this such as Columbia I believe who get very angry when you try and enter on a US passport and it lists Columbia as your home country

Vanessa&Tony-Lol...I guess you've been reading my other "Omitting a birthpalce on a US Passport" thread too...

Lol..And yes, that is one of the negatives of having a US passport as a US citizen....

7. The US lists the birth country on their passport...

And because of this, I have chosen not to apply for a US passport yet either, and have decided to keep my Canadian "blank other birth country" passport until it expires....lol...

Sigh..One of the drawbacks of becoming a US Citizen through naturalization....

"One cannot get away from their past, despite being naturalized as a USC!" Unfair, indeed!

Ant

Edited April 5, 2010 by Ant+D+BabyA

[antda 13]

P.P.S. Another negative/positive, I just thought of (though it was mentioned in another VJ post...)

8/9) US citizens who go through citizenship via naturalization have to go through a group ceremony (about 99% of cases).

Now, it's not a bad thing, if you like groups, 'pomp and circumstance', big parties, and the like....And it's not a bad thing, if you don't mind the long wait between the interview date and oath ceremony date....Then that's a positive..

But if you don't like big groups and long waits....Well....That's a negative.....

Ant