4 ms·

I'm a natural born U.S. citizen from the Canal Zone (former U.S. territory). I get harassed quite a bit whenever I come back to the U.S. from overseas. The la

I'm a natural born U.S. citizen from the Canal Zone (former U.S. territory). I get harassed quite a bit whenever I come back to the U.S. from overseas. The last time I was brusquely asked if I was a natural born citizen or had been naturalized at some point. I responded, "I was born in the same hospital as John McCain." The officer let me through after that retort. In my experience the CPB is the worst customs agency in the world and I'm an American. Natural born, of course.

aprescott 15y ago
> The last time I was brusquely asked if I was a natural born citizen or had been naturalized at some point. If you're naturalised, my understanding is that you have all the rights of a person originally born in the country, with everything that implies. Is there even a point of asking this question other than aggressiveness?
- raganwald 15y ago
  Not quite all the same rights and privileges. If you are entering the USA for the purpose of working as POTUS, They have grounds to refuse you as ineligible ;-)
  - dotBen 15y ago
    Well, presumably he does have the right to become POTUS if he was born in the same hospital as John McCain seeing as John McCain was a presidential candidate and thus his eligibility was already predetermined.
- yequalsx 15y ago
  As I understand naturalization it is a pointless question. Whether I was naturalized at birth or at a later date is entirely irrelevant. In case anyone is wondering, I'm white and a native speaker of English who doesn't speak any other language.
  - azov 15y ago
    The question is not simply pointless and irrelevant, it is potentially illegal. Border agent may be giving you grounds to claim discrimination on the basis of national origin, which is illegal (similar to asking applicant's age on a job interview). But it only works this way if you're a US citizen. With any other status border agents can do and ask pretty much whatever they feel like.
logain2006 15y ago
Luckily, you didn't say you were born in the same hospital as Barack Obama.

aprescott 15y ago

> The last time I was brusquely asked if I was a natural born citizen or had been naturalized at some point. If you're naturalised, my understanding is that you have all the rights of a person originally born in the country, with everything that implies. Is there even a point of asking this question other than aggressiveness?

raganwald 15y ago
Not quite all the same rights and privileges. If you are entering the USA for the purpose of working as POTUS, They have grounds to refuse you as ineligible ;-)
- dotBen 15y ago
  Well, presumably he does have the right to become POTUS if he was born in the same hospital as John McCain seeing as John McCain was a presidential candidate and thus his eligibility was already predetermined.
yequalsx 15y ago
As I understand naturalization it is a pointless question. Whether I was naturalized at birth or at a later date is entirely irrelevant. In case anyone is wondering, I'm white and a native speaker of English who doesn't speak any other language.
- azov 15y ago
  The question is not simply pointless and irrelevant, it is potentially illegal. Border agent may be giving you grounds to claim discrimination on the basis of national origin, which is illegal (similar to asking applicant's age on a job interview). But it only works this way if you're a US citizen. With any other status border agents can do and ask pretty much whatever they feel like.

logain2006 15y ago

Luckily, you didn't say you were born in the same hospital as Barack Obama.