Citizenship and Immigration Concepts

These flashcards cover key concepts and terms related to citizenship and immigration, useful for exam preparation.

Citizenship

The state of being a member of a country and having full rights, privileges, and duties under that country’s law.

Citizen

A person who owes allegiance (loyalty) to the U.S. and is entitled to full rights and responsibilities under the nation's laws.

Right

A privilege; something a person is given the opportunity to do.

14th Amendment

Declares that all people born or naturalized in the U.S. are citizens; granted citizenship to freed slaves.

Jus Soli

Latin phrase meaning 'law of soil,' which means citizenship is determined by one's place of birth.

Jus Sanguinis

Latin phrase meaning 'law of blood,' meaning citizenship is determined by the citizenship of one's biological parents.

Naturalization

The legal process by which a person becomes a citizen of another country.

Collective Naturalization

A large group of people who are naturalized all at the same time.

Visa

A document that gives a person legal permission to live temporarily in another country.

Green Card

A document that authorizes a permanent resident to reside indefinitely in the U.S.

Alien

A person who temporarily lives, works, or visits in the U.S.; not a naturalized citizen; foreigner.

Immigrant

A legal alien who permanently moves to another country.

Illegal Immigrant

A person who entered another country illegally or who is living there with an expired Green Card or Visa.

Pull Factors

Positive situations or conditions that attract or 'pull' a person to migrate to another region or country.

Denaturalization

Process by which a naturalized citizen involuntarily loses citizenship to one’s country.

Responsibility

Something that American citizens SHOULD do, such as vote, volunteer, stay informed.

Value

A belief or opinion that is important to an individual.

Discrimination

The mistreatment of a person because of their race, religion, or ethnic group.

Assimilation

An ethnic group and their way of living being accepted by the larger group.

Melting Pot

Immigrants who assimilate, or give up their original culture to accept the culture of the majority.

Acculturation

The process by which people retain their original culture as they fit into a new culture.

Expatriation

To voluntarily or involuntarily renounce citizenship to one's country.

Immigration Act of 1965

Provided that as many as 170,000 immigrants could enter the U.S. each year.

Immigration Act of 1990

Set the annual ceiling of immigrants permitted to enter the country at 675,000 per year.

Allegiance

Loyalty to a person or place.

Legal Alien

A person who entered another country legally but does not intend to stay permanently.

Push Factors

Negative situations or conditions that cause or push a person to want to leave a place.

Refugee

A person who has been forced to leave their homeland to escape danger.

Deportation

Legal process of removing a non-citizen from a country.

Duty

Something that American citizens MUST do, such as obey the law and pay taxes.

Census

An official count of the people living in a country.

E Pluribus Unum

Latin phrase meaning 'Out of Many, One,' the motto of the U.S.

Prejudice

Unfair opinions about someone or something without knowing all the facts.

Stereotyping

Looking at all members of a group as being the same with no respect for individual differences.

Intolerance

A lack of acceptance for others’ opinions, beliefs, race, religion, or ethnic background.

Hate Crimes

Wrongdoings committed against people out of hate for the group to which they belong.

Salad Bowl

Immigrants acculturate but still hold onto their original culture, adding new ideas to America.

Ways to Acquire Citizenship

Through birth or naturalization.

Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986

Federal law that made it illegal for an employer to knowingly hire an undocumented alien.

How can a individual lose U.S. citizenship?

Expatriation, Automatic Expatriation, Denaturalization