Dbq Essay On Naturalized Citizens

Dear Congressional Representative, Foreign-born citizens are given every right that a natural-born citizen has, with the exception of running for president of the United States. Many people are opposed to this law and as a matter of fact, two proposals have been presented to allow foreign born citizens to become president of the United States. The United States Constitution should be amended to allow a naturalized citizen to be elected president of the United States. Naturalized citizens are being discriminated against. These foreign-born citizens have greatly contributed to America. Also, there are millions of intelligent naturalized citizens in America today. The most important reason the United States Constitution should be amended
to allow a naturalized citizen to be elected president of the United States is that naturalized citizens are being discriminated against. In Document 1, “A Foreign-Born President?” Senator Hatch argues that “the natural-born requirement should not be allowed to stand,” because it is a “decidedly un-American” manner. This describes that one group, the foreign-born citizens, are being treated unequally because they were not born here. The issue is a “decidedly un-American” manner because our own country is not allowing the fairness for a naturalized citizen to run for president. Furthermore, America is also not providing fairness to natural-born citizens who may want to vote for a foreign-born citizen. “The natural-born citizen requirement is conspicuous on account of the fact that nowhere else in our law is there a distinction drawn between those who are citizens at birth and those who become citizens via naturalization.” (Doc. 1 “A Foreign-Born President?”) This quote further supports that foreign-citizens are being discriminated against when it comes to naturalized citizens trying to run for president of the United States because this is the only law that specifically restricts only foreign-born citizens from becoming president of the United States, and no one else. Another significant factor as to why the United States Constitution should be amended to allow a naturalized citizen to be elected president of the United States is that many foreign-born citizens have greatly contributed to America.
Document 2, “Immigrants for President?” states, “The most disturbing aspect of our Constitution as it reads today is that, scores of foreign-born men and women who have risked their lives defending the freedoms and liberties of this great nation remain ineligible for the Office of President.” Doc. 2 “Immigrants for President?” also states, “More than 700 recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor have been immigrants.” These two quotes prove that naturalized citizens have not only fought for the American people’s beliefs and rights, but have also earned medals for their heroic deeds in the military. “As a nation founded by immigrants, do we have the right to maintain that the more than 12 million Americans who were born elsewhere and who pay taxes, serve on juries, vote, and die in combat cannot have the same opportunities?”(Doc. 2 “Immigrants for President?”) This quote helps to contribute to the fact that naturalized citizens have given America a helping hand in various ways, whether it was dying in combat for us or paying taxes. Furthermore, our nation was founded by immigrants; therefore these naturalized citizens deserve every opportunity that natural-born citizens have, based on the fact that foreign-born citizens are the people who
first started building our country. The United States Constitution should be amended to allow a naturalized citizen to be elected president of the United States because there are millions of intelligent naturalized citizens in America today. Doc. 2 “Immigrants for President?” states, “Our nation’s immigrant population is at an all time high.” There are approximately 12 million immigrants in America today, and many of these foreign-born citizens have taken up very important occupations. Several of these foreign born citizens, such as, “Michigan governor, Jennifer Granholm, a Canadian-born Democrat, Labor Secretary Elaine Chao (Taiwan), Housing and Urban Development Secretary, Mel Martinez, (Cuba); former secretaries of State, Henry Kissinger (Germany) and Madeleine Albright (Czechoslovakia); and California governor-elect, Arnold Schwarzenegger, (Austria) (Doc. 2 “Immigrants for President?),” are not eligible to office of president strictly for the fact that these citizens were not naturally born here in America. This is unfair to the increasing population of foreign born citizens because this Constitutional clause is affecting the career options of naturalized citizens and no other group of people. The United States Constitution should be amended to give a foreign-born citizen the opportunity to be elected president of the United States. Foreign-born citizens are being treated unfairly. Naturalized citizens have helped America in various ways. There are also millions of bright naturalized citizens living in America today. The population of immigrants is only going to increase, and if foreign-born citizens can take federal, judiciary, Cabinet, and military positions, they should be able to run for president of the United States as well, therefore, you should highly consider amending the Constitution in order for foreign-born citizens to be able to be elected to become president of the United States. Sincerely,