The Foreign Service Journal, September 2013

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | SEPTEMBER 2013 43 We need to have an honest debate with Congress and with State about what U.S. citizenship means, and how our immigration law should reflect that understanding. argue it is in our critical strategic interest to try to instill these values in foreigners who aren’t applying for citizenship? We the People Let us close by returning to our initial question: What does it mean to be an American? Open your passport and flip through it. On every page you will see quotes from our greatest leaders talking about the values of freedom of speech, civil rights and the love of liberty that make Americans who we are. We are not a nation of any particular ethnicity, race or clan; the only thing binding us together is these shared values. So, unless we ensure that all new Americans actually do share them, the very definition of being an American will become a lot less clear. Now turn to the biographic page, which lists all the core details about your identity. Above your photo, name, place of birth and signature, you’ll find in very large print the open- ing words of our Constitution: “We the People of the United States.” If those words are to continue to mean something coher- ent—if we as diplomats are to continue to be able to speak on behalf of all our fellow Americans—then we need to have an honest debate with Congress and with the Department of State about what U.S. citizenship means, and how our immigration law should reflect that understanding. Those of us in the Foreign Service are on the front lines interacting with American citizens abroad every day. We have much to contribute to this debate. n