American Citizenship Intelligence, Self Control, and Conscience-the Three Qualities Most VER 34,000,000 IMMIGRANTS since 1820. At the present time, The Greatest Gift Citizenship is the highest and greatest gift of the nation. When conferred on an individual who comes from another land, it makes of him or her a part of our great society, and clothes such an individual with the rights and privileges of a native American citizen. Naturalization Naturally, the people of the United States fall into two classes, citizens and aliens. The Government has provided a means whereby men and women from other countries aliens may become citizens of the United States. This method of becoming a citizen is called naturalization. It is the act of adopting Four Steps THERE are four steps which an alien must take to become an American citizen: First, he must file a Declaration of Intention; second, a Certificate of Arrival; third, a Petition for Naturalization; fourth, he must appear before a judge, submit to an examination, and declare on oath his allegiance to America. This gift, from the Federal Government, itself, naturally and rightly, is given only to those aliens who will fit in with the American civilization. To those who give evidence of sound moral and political character; to those who are willing to take the trouble of showing, through study of the Constitution, the American Governmen, and the English language, their appreciation of, and their ability to use with judgment this great gift of citizenship-to all those, this gift is freely, gladly, and wholeheartedly given. foreigners and clothing them with American citizenship. There are three ways through which an alien may become a naturalized citizen of the United States. The First Way In the first place, the National Government may confer citizenship upon certain people en masse, collectively, or upon particular classes of persons. Such naturalization may come to individuals as the result of conquest, by treaty, by special act of congress, or when new states are admitted to the Union. For example: The citizens of the former independent state of Texas became citizens of the United States when Texas was admitted to the Union. In 1917, the people of Porto Rico, as a body, became full citizens of the United States by act of Congress. When Louisiana, Florida, and Alaska were bought from France, Spain, and Russia respectively, the people living in those regions later became citizens of the United States in this collective manner. The Second Way Citizenship, in the second place, may be acquired through the naturalization, or through the American citizenship of someone else. Minor children, for example, may become citizens through the naturalization of their father. A citizen of the United States, however, cannot give American citizenship by adoption to a child of foreign born nationality. Such a child, when it becomes of age, must go through the formal process of taking out his own naturalization papers. Any woman, who, herself, is capable of naturalization, and who marries a citizen of the United States, native or naturalized, is, through such marriage made an American citizen. The naturalization of the foreign born father of a family, automatically naturalizes his wife and all of their minor children, if such children at the time live in the United States. In like manner, a woman of American citizenship who marries a foreigner, loses her American citizenship and must assume the citizenship of her husband. Women of the United States have urged for a number of years that an American woman, if she desires, be allowed to retain her American citizenship when she marries a foreigner, and that a qualified alien married woman be permitted to become an American citizen on her own accord, no matter what her husband desires to do. A bill to this effect is being seriously considered in Congress and by the time this book is published may have become a law. The Third Way Unless naturalized in one of these two ways, an alien must go through the third method of naturalization-the formal process of taking out citizenship papers. The right to do this is not granted to all foreign born people. According to the naturalization laws, only only those aliens who are white or who are of African nativity or of African descent, are eligible for American citizenship. Since the Chinese and Japanese, and members of other yellow or brown races, are not considered white persons or persons of the African race, they are excluded from becoming citizens of the United States. Illiterates-those who cannot read or write English-cannot become citizens of the United States by naturalization. Neither can polygamists, and criminals, such as murderers, thieves, bribers and perjurers, or persons of immoral character become naturalized. Individuals not believing in, or opposed to organized government, or members of or affiliated with any group or association of persons teaching such doctrines, are also barred from this great privilege of American citizenship. Four Necessary Steps There are four necessary steps which must be taken by an alien man or woman who desires to become an American citizen. First, a paper called a Declaration of Intention must be filed. Second, a Certificate of Arrival must be secured. Third, a second Since about one-eighth of our total population of 105,710,620 is of alien birth, the subject of American citizenship is of great importance. There are those who cannot become citizens of the United States. Illiterates, polygamists, CRIMINALS, and those opposed to organized government, cannot become citi zens. Only those who are of good character, and who are WHITE PERSONS, or who, are of AFRICAN NATIVITY or of African descent can become citizens. NOTE-A copy of this form will be furnished by the clerk of the court, the Chief Naturalization Examiner, or the public-school teacher to each applicant for a declaration of Intention, so that he can at his leisure all in the answers to the questions. After being Bled out the form is to be returned to the clerk, to be used by him in properly Siling out the declaration. If the applicant landed on or after June 29, 1906, his declaration should not be led until the name of the vessel is definitely given (or the name of the railroad and border port in the United States through which the allen entered), as well as the date of arrival. TO THE APPLICANT.-The fee of one dollar required by law for the declaration, must be paid to the clerk of the court before he commences to all out the declaration of Intention. No fee is chargeable for this blank, and none should be paid for assistance in Bling it out, as the Naturalisation Examiner or the public-school teacher will help you free of charge. This form is to be used only where an allen arrived in this country after June 29, 1906. The alien When an alien desires to petition for naturalization, this form should be given to him before he is permitted to file his petitica, and the execution of the petition for naturalization should not be commenced until the certificate of arrival is received by the clerk of the court. The alien should be directed to complete the letter below and carefully fill in all the blanke in this form, as the informa tion is necessary to obtain the certificate of arrival, and will aid the clerk of the court in filing the petition for naturalization. The alien abould then mail this form to the Commisioner of Naturalisation, Department of Labor, Washington, D. O. That official will at once take steps to obtain and forward to the clerk of court the certificate of arrival required by section 4 of the act of June 29, 1906, to be attached to and made a part of the petition at the time of its filing. The statement of facts will also be forwarded to the clerk of the court. Notice will also be given to the alien that the certificate has been sent to the clerk of the court named by him. paper called a Petition for Naturalization must be filled out and filed. Fourth, the applicant must appear before a judge, submit to examination regarding his knowledge of the Constitution and his loyalty to the American Government, and declare on oath in open court that he will support the Constitution of the United States and renounce all allegiance to any other country. The entire cost is but $5.00; $1.00 when the First Paper (the Declaration of Intention) is filed and the remaining $4.00 when application is made for the Petition for Naturalization. The Declaration of Intention The first step that an alien desiring to become a citizen must take is to declare his purpose of becoming one by filing a Declaration of Intention. In this he must renounce all allegiance to his former country and to its ruler. Any alien, man or woman, eligible to citizenship, and over eighteen years of age, may file such a declaration at the office of the County Clerk. In order to do so, witnesses need not be brought, nor is it necessary for the alien to be able to speak English at the time. In fact, he does not have to be able even to sign his name; his mark will do. This declaration, usually called "The First Papers" must be recorded in the County Clerk's office in the county in which the applicant is a legal resident. The Certificate of Arrival All aliens who came to the United States after June 29th, 1906, must secure a Certificate of Arrival. This is the second step. |