It is sad, but it is the reality we face. And if we are going to be good parents who provide our children with opportunities, we must think about how the world is for their future.

For a better life, we must always try to think in two timelines: the present and the future.

I am immigrant (naturalized citizen) to the US (from Canada) and acquired US citizenship, and I knew that I had ancestors from Poland. I thought it would be advantageous to get my Polish citizenship, since it’s part of the EU. That would grant me the right to work and live in the EU if I ever so desired (up till now, I haven’t desired but who knows, maybe one day?).

I didn’t think I was eligible for German citizenship through descent because Germany’s rules for that are far more arcane than Poland. But I inquired with a law firm, and apparently the rules changed so I jumped on it.

So why go through getting citizenship of another country (my fourth) if being part of Poland already gives me what I want (EU citizenship)? Well, a few reasons:

[1] In case the EU breaks apart or shrinks, Germany is probably going to be part of whatever replaces it.

[2] My family identifies more strongly with German ancestry than Polish (all my elder relatives speak German) and I wanted to reclaim that side of my ancestry.

[3] Finally, this is more personal/political, and will likely result in a few downranks of this comment. But whatever.

There is a large contingent of people in the US that will claim you’re not really “one of us” unless your ancestry comes from certain geographical areas of Europe, primarily western Europe – including Germany. The “us-ness” of what it means to be an American citizen is not creedal (believing in the values of the US, coming here legally, living here for many years, swearing an oath of allegiance, undergoing the citizenship test/process) but is also (or especially) where do you come from?

Well, as someone who has those very roots to prove the “us-ness” demanded by some influential views held by some in the US, and has gone through significant financial, time, and logistical obstacles to prove it (i.e., it’s not just a claim, I am bringing receipts), I repudiate that point of view in favor of the more broad category of “Who can be an American?” in that it is creedal, allegiance-based, immigrant-based, etc. My proving my heritage while simultaneously repudiating a view I strongly disagree with is my way of expressing voice.

That’s why I went through all the work to prove my ancestry.

Wow! Brutal! Thanks for sharing. May I ask what were the reasons why you had to prove your Polish and German ancestry? What are some of the benefit benefits? Thx

The second time is proving my German heritage. That one is still in-progress, it’s already taken 2 years (7 months to collect the necessary documentation, and 17 months and counting after I submitted my application). I once again had to go to a German embassy in another city to get documents notarized. That one has cost way more, probably closer to $7500.

Very good perspective! It never occurred to me people would try to scam the system to claim they are Hawaiian. However, how would they do so?

My grandmother had to fight to get Hawaiian put on her birth certificate through a lawyer, and in the 100+ year old records book, I saw the amendment. But instead of getting a lawyer and spending all that time for amending my dad’s birth certificate, I was pleased to have made them amend his Ethnicity permanently to Chinese-Hawaiian while I was there based on my grandmother’s record.