whose citizenship is it?

[Ken Ikeda <keike@ge.nagano-nct.ac.jp>]

Sorry to bring up an old issue, but I just got around to reading it.

Helen wrote regarding governments deciding citizenships:

>While it's true that American law does not recognize dual citizenship,
>neither does it accept that other governments can tell it who is or is not an
>American citizen.  Thus, just because Japan may say that someone who becomes
>a Japanese citizen is no longer an American, that has no impact on whether
>the American government recognizes this same person as an American citizen.  

>I believe that Akebono is still an American citizen.

David added:
>Yes, but then he may be in violation of japanese law. Whether they care or
>not I do not know.

John Pierce says to look at	

http://www.webcom.com/richw/dualcit/

>for further information. This gives a thorough, non-legalese analysis of
>the current situation, as well as some historical background.

>> I believe that Akebono is still an American citizen.

>That is probably true, but would depend to a very large extent on the
>exact way in which the Japanese government requires naturalized citizens
>to renounce their former citizenship. See reference given above for details.


Let me add my experience:

3 years ago when I applied for a visa in Japan (as a descendant of a 
Japanese-born) I was asked to produce documents verifying my father's and 
mother's birthdates (both were born in Japan.)  I found my mother had duly 
informed the village officials of her birthplace her naturalization to US 
citizenship, but my father hadn't (I think he has never bothered to do it.)  

So though he is a naturalized US citizen, he is still listed as a Japanese 
citizen!  When I mentioned this to the immigration officer, he just shrugged 
and said it didn't matter.  (But don't use this as a precedent for your
own Japanese citizenship application.)

Ken Ikeda (a US native with no dual citizenship)
keike@ge.nagano-nct.ac.jp