The American government doesn’t really like the fact that people like me exist. In fact, a similar case to mine made it all the way to the Supreme Court. Crazy right? Before you jump to all kinds of crazy conclusions, no I’m not a criminal and no I’m not fighting some utterly disgraceful injustice. The government doesn’t like that my loyalties could be, well are, divided. I am a citizen of two countries, the USA and the United Kingdom. While some places in the world don’t care about us citizens of two worlds, aka Dual Nationals, the USA does. And we’re not exactly wanted.
I have my dual citizenship through carrying two passports. I have a blue one that declares me a citizen of America, and I have a red one that declares me a citizen of the United Kingdom. The only reason I was able to apply and successfully gain both is that I was born and raised here in the USA. However, my Mum was born and raised in the UK. Does this automatically make me something that doesn’t belong? Not necessarily, I just think it just makes me more of an awkward bean. Let me explain.
Being a part of two cultures leads to some pretty humorous situations. Perhaps the most prevalent one is my use of language. I have been accused of incorrect spellings and pronunciations my entire life. I still cannot tell you the correct way to say ‘garage’. I try and avoid saying that word at all costs And I got into an argument with my first grade teacher over the correct spelling of ‘color’ (I spelled it ‘colour’). This isn’t even mentioning the times I’ve told someone to take out the ‘bin’ (it’s ‘trash’ or ‘trash can’ here), or to fasten their seatbelts so they wouldn’t get thrown through the ‘windscreen’ (you call it a ‘windshield’).
Beyond word mistakes – which happen way more frequently than I’m willing to admit – I also get mixed up over holidays. I forget that half of my family doesn’t celebrate Thanksgiving or the Fourth of July; it’s ironic considering half my family is celebrating their separation from the other half… but moving on! I also get surprised when my friends haven’t heard of Guy Fawkes Night or Boxing Day; one of which is in remembrance of the time someone almost blew up Parliament, and the other comes right after Christmas. I feel like my calendar is filled with holidays that 50% of the people I know in any given place don’t share. In fact, I have two separate and distinct Pancake days (I know, pretty awesome, right?).
Speaking of food, there are so many foods that are not shared between these two cultures. Corn in England sucks, honestly. Don’t even bother with it. And the candy isn’t similar at all. You won’t find your familiar go-to movie treats in England, just like you won’t find Parma Violets, Love Hearts, Wine Gums, or Jelly Babies here. But, don’t even get me started on the chocolate. American chocolate is not chocolate, it’s like 90% wax. It’s nasty. British chocolate wins every single time. You won’t find Root Beer there, just like you won’t find Ribena here. You won’t find bakeries on every street corner in the USA, or any kind of Carvery (which is kind of like a restaurant that serves something similar to a Thanksgiving dinner every single day).
You’ve never felt like a fish out of water until you’ve spent an hour walking around a grocery store looking for a food that doesn’t exist in that country, or until you’ve mentioned a holiday that everyone around you doesn’t celebrate, or until you’ve pronounced a very basic and simple word completely wrong. Yet, despite all that I love the quirks that connect me to my family, both American and British. I love being able to be a part of two beautiful cultures and how they shaped me into the person I am today. So, can I understand why being a Dual National could make me a threat due to divided loyalty… sure, maybe. But, in reality I’m way too awkward for that.