Dual Citizenship
Japan is currently engaged in a debate that I'm quite interested in: the subject of dual nationality. Currently, when a child is born with parents from Japan and the U.S. they get citizenship in both countries until the age of 22, at which time they must choose between the two. Since both Japan and the U.S. are a part of my kids, I'd love it if they could enjoy the benefits of citizenship in both countries all their lives rather than having to give one or the other up. The United States has no problem with allowing dual citizenship -- Governor "Shuwa-chan" retains his Austrian citizenship, for example -- but the problem is good old xenophobic Japan, which officially refuses to recognize more than one nationality at a time. Happily, this rule seems to be a good example of tatemae (ta-teh-MAH-eh), something we pretend is true even though we know it's not, rather than honne (HON-neh), the truth or the way things really are. In other words, holders of dual nationality are required to choose one by the age of 22 and surrunder the other country's passport, but if you don't, make sure you don't tell the Japanese government about it. Japan is exceedingly good about vague stuff like that.
posted by Peter in Japan at 8:00 PM
13 Comments:
impressive edifice! certainly looks Western-inflenced, with those columns.
3:54 AM
That's the Japanese Diet building, the equivalent to the Capitol. I think Mothra ate it a few times ^_^
9:43 AM
I would dig on dual citizenship, myself. It would be nice to have some influence on the politics in the country where I live (if only symbolically), but I don't really want to give up my U.S. citizenship... Not that I really intend to go through the rigamarole that is the Japanese naturalization procedure, anyway, though.
10:53 AM
Oh, I've heard about that before, and I thought it was really odd! Now I understand... But someone told me that even if you're born in Brazil to Japanese parents and decide to keep the Japanese passport, Brazil won't allow you not to be Brazilian! So, well, even if you go and tell the government, you'll be Brazilian forever. Well, not that the Brazilian passport is really worth much anyway...
12:52 PM
Hmmm, so basically when someone of Japanese and American descent reaches 22, their given an ultimatum and must choose which country they will live in? Wow! well, I'm assuming their decision would be strongly influenced by their connection to which ever country. However, to a Japanese who's dreamed of living in America(vice versa)that goal could play a large part in the end result.
2:20 PM
There's some shit going on with citizenship here. Like, Chinese or Koreans born and raised in Japan, but now enjoying Japanese citizenship, in part due to the choices of the minority group. Or a baby not getting Japanese citizenship because the mother was not married at time of birth (unwed births are viewed differently). Obviously we all think the way we do things in our country is "best" but still. Japan should lose its aloofness when it comes to including non-yamato Japanese in its society.
(Of course anyone can get Japanese citizenship and it's actually quite easy to do. In my own case I have 永住権 or permanent residence, since getting actual Japanese citizenship would turn me into a nihonjin with really bad kanji skills, comparatively.)
2:59 PM
that kinda sucks if you like your own country. lol. so if i am born american, does that mean i could just "become" japanese if i have citizenship? to me, that'd be cool =3
11:47 PM
Yes, you can take Japanese citizenship just as anyone can get American citizenship, if they pass certain requirements (length of stay in the country, langauge, knowledge of history). One snag: Japan requires that you legally take a Japanese name. This is one reason (supposedly) that Koreans and Chinese cannot possibly consider joining the "enemy society." Not taking Japanese citizenship has various ramifications, for example a zainichi Korean who was Japanese in any respect we'd care about couldn't work in certain jobs, like fire fighter or teacher, unless things have changed since I checked last.
12:45 AM
I thought they ended the name change requirement. If the Korean and Chinese immigrants' names are in kanji anyway, the name change requirement doesn't mean much anyway, does it?
Also, it doesn't matter if Japan honors dual citizenship as long as the other country does. Think about it: If someone is born American and Japanese, then as soon as that person turns 22, s/he can tell the Japanese government that s/he chooses to be Japanese. What are they going to do, confiscate the American passport? They don't have the authority. Since the USA honors dual citizenship, they won't take the passport either (unless s/he runs for political office in Japan or maybe joins its military).
Basically, only one of the two countries has to honor dual citizenship for the person to have dual citizenship.
4:39 PM
Technically the US does not recognize dual citizenship with any nation EXCEPT in cases where you had dual citizenship from birth or childhood. When it comes to naturalization, new US citizens are required to renounce their old citizenship ( and also to turn in their old country passports). The official US State Department policy is that the US does not favor dual citizenship as a matter of policy because of the various problems they feel it may cause but dual citizenship is recognized as a fact of life.
1:17 AM
I think the best compromise for Xenophobic Japan is to allow those having foreign nationals of Japanese ancestry to remain Japanese in exchange of keeping those who have no bloodties to Japan out of naturalizing as Japanese citizens. This will satisfy the conservative Japanese Government officials. Especially beginning with the Issei immigrants to keep theirs, and the requirement of requiring both parents to be Japanese for the overseas born is another good compromise. In another words, if you are 100% ethnically Japanese, you keep your Japanese citizenship. This should fly well with the conservative Japanese government. (Of course, ideally, I like to see multiculturalism like Canada where I am now, but because that is not a reality, this proposal is not a bad one to for starters as they need to be cracked open slowly)
8:15 PM
Umpa, I agree with you on that point. While I don't like the extremely racist restriction, it might be a necessary evil to begin the process of acceptance for Japan to relax dual citizenship like Canada one day. It is a start. I think it would be a slap in the face for any Japanese if they made a white guy Japanese while keeping the 100%Japanese Americans out of keeping their Japanese citizenship.
Also, if a Japanese American US Marine decided to not want to go to Iraq while serving on the base of Japan just because he wanted his education paid for via Montgomery GI Bill, he should be able to on his day off say that he is on his homeland, and that the US authorities will be powerless as the Status of Forces Agreement would be overridden by the Hague Nationality Law.
8:22 PM
Saw an interesting thing while researching my recent post on newscasters. It was a discussion among Japanese people and one person said basically, "I believe that while Japan is Japan, newscasters should be Japanese and not gaijin" (referring to Crystel Takigawa). Of course I thought, how silly, but on the other hand it seemed to make a little sense. Do Brits get testy at the idea of people with a strong "other-ness" doing the news on the BBC?
2:05 AM
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