Am I European Or American

[misterNiceGuy]

Hello guys. I cant understand something.. I was born in Illinois Chicago by 2 Albanian parents, they was living there for a long time and came back in 1997 to Albania after i was born. I have an American passport also an Albanian passport.. Now i wanted to know what i really am and what rights do i have as an American born person. Thank you

[woofgang]

This is a UK website, you might do better to ask on a US website or google "rights of US citizen with dual nationality"

[vetuste_ennemi]

I believe that you are an American citizen, NiceGuy. But follow Wolfgang's advice.

[Buenchico]

You are a US citizen by birth:
http://www.uscis.gov/us-citizenship

You are also an Albanian citizen by birth:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albanian_nationality_law

Holding US citizenship doesn't cancel out your Albanian citizenship. (See 'Dual citizenship' in my second link, above).

It's possible to lose US citizenship by acquiring citizenship of another country later in life but not by having dual citizenship at birth, so your Albanian citizenship doesn't cancel out your US citizenship:
http://travel.state.gov/content/travel/english/legal-considerations/us-citizenship-laws-policies/citizenship-and-dual-nationality/dual-nationality.html

Therefore you have DUAL NATIONALITY and you're a citizen of BOTH countries, with the respective rights of citizenship of each country.

If you have problems when travelling internationally (other than to either the USA or Albania) BOTH the Albanian Embassy AND the US Embassy can be called upon to assist you. However the Albanian Embassy can't assist you while you're in the USA and the US Embassy can't assist you in Albania.

So, for example, if you were in the USA at a time when US military commitments meant that you could be drafted into the US Army, your Albanian citizenship couldn't be used to prevent that. Similarly, if you were in Albania and called up for compulsory military service, your US citizenship couldn't prevent that.

Any clearer now?

[Old_Geezer]

Although I've encountered disagreement when expressing this view, IMO you were born in America which dictates you "really" are American. You may have family roots elsewhere, and can opt to adopt a different nationality for citizenship /passport purposes if you wish.

[Cloverjo]

I don't agree that just your place of birth dictates your nationality, O_G. I had a friend with British parents, who was born in Australia because his dad was working there for a short time. That surely doesn't make him "really" Australian.

[KARL]

You are what you feel like - if you feel more Albanian than American then you are Albanian. The legal position is something quite different and, for example, since you have an American passport it is distinctly possible that the USA will claim the right to tax you on all your income anywhere irrespective of where you are officially resident.

Both Albania and the United States are likely to see you in terms of their own legislation, albeit within the framework of bilateral agreements which, in the case of the USA, sometimes effectively puts US law higher than the other country's. You can officially renounce either or both nationalities, although, in the case of the USA, the officials will be very confused because they are so used to having to deal with misguided people who want into the USA, God's own and the world's best country as Americans are trained to see it.

[Old_Geezer]

Don't see why not Jo.

If it is to mean anything permanent then it has to relate to where one started life as a separate individual.

What governments define one as for citizenship purposes, or what one's relatives are, are surely different issues.

[misterNiceGuy]

i got everything i need.. Thank you guys.. Have a nice day

[Clanad]

In supporting Chris' information and hopefully answering
Cloverjo's objection, "...The Citizenship Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution indicates that "All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States." The Supreme Court of the United States affirmed in United States v. Wong Kim Ark, 169 U.S. 649 (1898), that the Fourteenth Amendment guarantees citizenship for nearly all individuals born in the country, regardless of their parents' citizenship or immigration status..." Source: Ho, James C. (2006). "Defining 'American': Birthright Citizenship and the Original Understanding of the 14th Amendment".

Known as "Anchor Babies" the concept is under fire here in the U.S. even as we speak, due to the large numbers of mainly Mexican immigrants who enjoy several benefits of American citizenship due solely to thier children being born on US soil.

Fact is, however, the citizenship rights sought by the parents is an illusion perpetuated by the far left here in the US since only the child is a citizen. There are as estimated 40 million such illegal immigrants presently in the US just on the basis of their childs birth place... The political left's wish is to achieve dominance in vote getting from the illegals by supporting them in receiving social welfare benefits...