Determining Whether You Really Want
to Become a U.S. Citizen
By Cheri Sicard and Steven Heller

Becoming a U.S. citizen carries important
duties and responsibilities, as well as rights,
rewards, and privileges. Before you make
the decision to pursue U.S. citizenship, you
need to be aware of what you stand to lose
and what you stand to gain and be sure
you're ready to fulfil all the obligations of a
good citizen.
Naturalization refers to the process by
which immigrants become citizens. In most
cases, if you were not born in the United
States, you must be naturalized to become
a U.S. citizen.

What you lose...
When you become a U.S. citizen, you must
give up all prior allegiances to other
countries. Although nobody will care if you
root for your birth country in a soccer
match (actually, some soccer fans may
care, but the U.S. government certainly
won't), you won't be able to defend that
country against the United States in times
of conflict or war. You must also be willing
to serve your new country, the United
States of America, when required. What
this means is that if the U.S. is at war or in
the midst of some other type of crisis, you
need to be willing to take up arms for the
U.S. or otherwise aid the military effort in
whatever capacity is needed.
Giving up your allegiances to other
countries doesn't necessarily mean you
have to give up your citizenship in other
countries. You may be able to maintain
your original citizenship(s) and hold U.S.
citizenship (having citizenship in more than
one country is known as dual citizenship).
The United States allows dual citizenship
(though it is disfavored). Some countries do
not allow dual citizenship. If you are a
citizen of such a country, you will likely give
up your citizenship upon naturalizing to
U.S. citizenship. This information may
affect your decision to apply for U.S.
citizenship. To find out if your citizenship
can be affected, check with the embassy of
each country in which you have citizenship.

What you gain......
The United States Constitution, the
country's most important document and
essentially the rulebook for how the U.S.
government runs, guarantees all people
living in the United States, whether U.S.
citizens or not, certain rights. Freedom of
religion and speech, the right to peaceable
assembly, and the right to a fair trial if
you're ever accused of a crime are all
important freedoms guaranteed to
everyone in the United States.
U.S. citizens, both born and naturalized,
however, are eligible for many additional
benefits based on their status as U.S.
citizens. These include the following:
The right to vote and, therefore, to have a
voice in government
The right to hold elected office (except
for the offices of President and Vice
President, which are reserved for natural-
born citizens)
Certain government jobs
Public education
Scholarships
Grants
The ability to petition for immediate
relatives to join you in the U.S. without
being subject to visa limits
Protection from forced removal from the
country
Certain types of public assistance
To explore more as you consider
citizenship, visit United States Immigration
News for Top 10 Reasons to Become a U.S.
Citizen.

Your rights and responsibilities as a U.S.
citizen...
When you become a naturalized U.S.
citizen, you must take the Oath of
Allegiance. The Oath of Allegiance is your
promise to the government and the people
of the United States that you will
Support and defend the Constitution and
the laws of the United States against all
enemies.
Support, defend, and obey the laws of the
United States.
Swear allegiance to the United States.
Serve the United States, if required, in
times of war or national emergency. You
may be called to serve in the military or
help U.S. military efforts in some
capacity.
Give up any prior allegiances to other
countries.
In addition to the responsibilities outlined
in the Oath of Allegiance, U.S. citizens have
other important duties:
Serving on a jury: One of the most
important rights in the U.S. is the right to
a trial by a jury in most cases. Serving on
a jury when asked is an important
obligation of U.S. citizens in order to
protect the U.S. system of justice, in
which the power still rests with the
people.
Although there is a small chance you
may never be called to report for jury
duty, know that if you do receive a notice
to report, you're legally compelled to do
so. Failure to report for jury duty can
result in a fine, jail time, or both.
Voting: The United States has a
government of the people, by the people,
and for the people. The ultimate political
authority is not in the hands of the
government or of any single government
official — instead, the ultimate political
authority is in the hands of the people.
Citizens of the United States have the
right to change or abolish the
government or to amend the
Constitution. U.S. citizens exercise their
power by voting for elected
representatives.
Being tolerant of others: The U.S. is a
melting pot, a combination of many
different cultures and ethnic races.
People living here need to be tolerant of
all races, religions, and cultures.
Although you aren't legally compelled to
perform some of these duties — for
instance, no one will take you to jail if you
don't exercise your right to vote — you will
deprive yourself of the important benefits
of living in the United States if you don't
participate.