Today, I went to the US Postal Service in Capitola, CA to send off FSM Passport applications for my two US-born teenagers. In the accompanying cover letter, I wrote, “As a proud citizen of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), it gives me so much joy and great pride to be able to apply for the FSM Passport for my two US-born children. It is truly a historic moment for us as a family to join other FSM citizens in the United States (and around the world) whose US-born children are finally recognized and honored by our FSM Constitution for their blood right citizenship in their parent’s homeland of the FSM.” I’ve always told my children that they are 100% Micronesian and 100% American, not 50/50, not half-caste, not afikase just because they have an American mother and a Chuukese father. Today, they can celebrate with me that truth…they are 100% US citizens and 100% FSM citizens.
I left that post office with these FSM words in my heart, “Killisou! Kalahngan! Kammagar! Kulo!” Yes, gratitude for all my fellow citizens who voted for the constitutional amendment approving dual citizenship. I was thankful for all the leaders who never gave up even after 3 failed attempts to amend our FSM Constitution to allow dual citizenship. I was grateful for President Simina’s signing of the Executive Order 23-07 which officially enabled dual citizenships for FSMers and their foreign-born children. Today, my US-born children can finally claim citizenship in my/their country thus growing FSM’s talent pool of FSM citizens. It enables a new generation of citizens who were born beyond the shores of the FSM to be part of their homeland.
The founding fathers of our FSM nation including my own uncle the late President Tosiwo Nakayama, first president of the FSM and my cousin Mr. Asterio Takesy who served as Chief Negotiator for the 1st and 2nd COFA, negotiated for all the provisions of the Compact of Free Association (COFA) with the United States to claim our rightful sovereignty among the global community. One of those provisions of the COFA is the immigration clause opening the border of the United States to our citizens for better education, healthcare, jobs and all the opportunities provided by the US. The COFA has expanded the opportunities for FSM citizens. Most of us who left our beloved country of the FSM did so without choosing to deny our US-born children their ability to own lands that belong truly to them back home.
Dual citizenship is also opening up an opportunity for FSM parents of American citizens to consider applying for American citizenship. I no longer have to sacrifice my homeland of the FSM to become a US citizen. I can be both. If granted dual citizenship in the United States, I will cherish the right as a parent of my US citizen children to vote. No longer will I have to stand on the sideline while others decide the future for my children. Voting in local, state, and federal elections will enable FSM citizens who are raising Micronesian American children to take active role in how the local, state, and federal taxes are allocated. After all, I’ve paid into state and federal taxes all of these 30+years living in the United States. Being apathetic in US elections was fine when I was single and free. But now with the responsibility of raising American children in these United States, it is my duty to do everything I can to make sure I am also actively involved in the building of a better America. This is true today more than ever.
