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Well I disagree. Una Clarke has been spouting this for sometime now in response to the dual citizenship issue. See here: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/html...UNA_CLARKE_.asp
Well that is her personal opinion but the US State Department says otherwise: http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_p.../cis_1753.html
"A U.S. citizen may acquire foreign citizenship by marriage, or a person naturalized as a U.S. citizen may not lose the citizenship of the country of birth. U.S. law does not mention dual nationality or require a person to choose one citizenship or another". Further the website says...dual nationals "are required to obey the laws of both countries. Either country has the right to enforce its laws, particularly if the person later travels there."
I suspect her position is based in part on the US oath of allegiance that persons who naturalize are required to take.
Much has been made of the renunciation clause in the US naturalization oath which goes..."I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen...' etc.
As I understand it the so called renunciation clause in modern times now means that in all future dealings with the US government the naturalized American must come to the table as a US citizen(you can't for instance claim that because of foreign citizenship you are not obliged to file tax returns). It may have meant something else 100 years ago but the fact is that the Supreme Court of the United States has stated that dual citizenship is a “status long recognized in the law” and that “a person may have and exercise rights of nationality in two countries and be subject to the responsibilities of both.
The only way to lose Jamaican citizenship is if one were to formally do so through the Jamaican embassy. Holders of dual citizenship when they land in Jamaica are fully under Jamaican law and entitled to all the rights and privileges of all Jamaicans. You can for instance legally work in the country and one is obliged to follow tax laws etc.
Well that is her personal opinion but the US State Department says otherwise: http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_p.../cis_1753.html
"A U.S. citizen may acquire foreign citizenship by marriage, or a person naturalized as a U.S. citizen may not lose the citizenship of the country of birth. U.S. law does not mention dual nationality or require a person to choose one citizenship or another". Further the website says...dual nationals "are required to obey the laws of both countries. Either country has the right to enforce its laws, particularly if the person later travels there."
I suspect her position is based in part on the US oath of allegiance that persons who naturalize are required to take.
Much has been made of the renunciation clause in the US naturalization oath which goes..."I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen...' etc.
As I understand it the so called renunciation clause in modern times now means that in all future dealings with the US government the naturalized American must come to the table as a US citizen(you can't for instance claim that because of foreign citizenship you are not obliged to file tax returns). It may have meant something else 100 years ago but the fact is that the Supreme Court of the United States has stated that dual citizenship is a “status long recognized in the law” and that “a person may have and exercise rights of nationality in two countries and be subject to the responsibilities of both.
The only way to lose Jamaican citizenship is if one were to formally do so through the Jamaican embassy. Holders of dual citizenship when they land in Jamaica are fully under Jamaican law and entitled to all the rights and privileges of all Jamaicans. You can for instance legally work in the country and one is obliged to follow tax laws etc.
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