06.03 Citizenship

On the topic of citizenship There are two ways to become a citizen—by birth or by naturalization. This did not become a part of the Constitution until 1868 when the Fourteenth Amendment was ratified. It reads:

"All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside."


Here are some terms that may be helpful to know when learning or dealing with Citizenship:

Terms and Definitions

• alien - any person not a citizen of the United States
• dual citizenship - having citizenship in two countries
• jus sanguinis - citizenship by blood (your parent's citizenship)
• jus soli - citizenship by the place of your birth
• National - person who is from an American territory, having all the legal protections that citizens have, but not the full political rights of US citizens.
• naturalization - a legal action granting citizenship to an alien
• refugee - person who has a well-founded fear of persecution if he or she returns to the home country based on their religion, race, social class, nationality, or political opinion
• right of expatriation - the right to renounce citizenship