NATIONALITY
What it is:
According the Merriam-Webster dictionary, nationality is the fact or status of being a member or citizen of a particular nation. |
Remember:
Race, ethnicity, and nationality have different meanings, though are sometimes used interchangeably in casual conversation. To see examples of the differences between these three terms, take a look at the chart in the first FAQ of the ethnicity section. |
- American, Chinese, Israeli, Nigerian, Argentinian, Saudi Arabian, French
FAQs
What is the difference between civic nationalism and ethnic nationalism?
As defined here, ethnic nationalism is “created by a shared ethnic and/or cultural identity. Basically, people with common language, religion, customs, and cultural traditions are united through their commonalities and form a nation. That nation is the basis for the state, the political structure, and borders. This means that in ethnic nationalism, the government must identify with a single ethnic group and be seen as representative of them.
“We can also understand ethnic nationalism by what it's not. Since ethnic nationalism creates national identity through pre-existing characteristics like ethnicity, it's not based on any sense of equal political or social rights. Divisions by class and wealth can exist without being seen as immoral or unfair because the nation isn't defined by political unity, just ethnic unity.
“This also means that people who do not fit within this ethnic category are labeled as outsiders and are often marginalized or discriminated against. In a society built on ethnic nationalism, immigrants must fully assimilate into that culture and give up any sense of previous linguistic, cultural, or national identity. Even then, there's a chance they'll still be seen as outsiders.
“Ethnic nationalism was the basis for the first nation-states of Europe. When people first started organizing into countries with defined borders, it was generally along ethnic lines. The English formed England, the French formed France, and the Germans formed Germany. The state was built on the ethnic nation. This is one reason that Jews were so heavily persecuted throughout European history; as outsiders who were unwilling to abandon their Jewish heritage and customs, they didn't fit within the ethnic nationalist state. Although as these societies' values changed, so did the Jews' level of societal assimilation.
“Ethnic nationalism reached its fever pitch in the 19th century, as ultra-nationalist attitudes led to competition between ethnic groups, hatred, and even genocide. Empires like Germany used a sense of ethnic nationalism to justify expansion; they were just trying to unite all the ethnically German people. The result was World War II and all the atrocities of that conflict - including the Holocaust - in which civilian populations were often targeted as rival ethnic nations.”
On the other hand, as defined here, civic nationalism “means that nationhood is granted through citizenship, so all citizens are members of the nation. Think about what this means. Any person can be part of the nation regardless of their wealth, race, ethnicity, sex, gender, religion, or place of birth. With civic nationalism, every person has equal access to nationhood without being blocked by pre-existing factors outside of their control.
“The implication of this is that the nation, the community, isn't defined by exclusive categories like ethnicity or religion. It's defined instead by a shared devotion to a set of liberal political ideologies and the government built on those principles.”
What is the difference between nationality and citizenship?
According to the Encyclopedia Britannica: “Nationality, in law, is membership in a nation or sovereign state. It is to be distinguished from citizenship (q.v.), a somewhat narrower term that is sometimes used to denote the status of those nationals who have full political privileges.” In other words, you can be a national without being a citizen.
According to the Economist: “In general, to be a national is to be a member of a state. Nationality is acquired by birth or adoption, marriage, or descent (the specifics vary from country to country). Having a nationality is crucial for receiving full recognition under international law. Indeed, Article 15 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights declares that “Everyone has the right to a nationality” and “No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality nor denied the right to change his nationality” but is silent on citizenship. Citizenship is a narrower concept: it is a specific legal relationship between a state and a person. It gives that person certain rights and responsibilities. It does not have to accompany nationality.”
“Section 101(a)(22) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) states that “the term ‘national of the United States’ means (A) a citizen of the United States, or (B) a person who, though not a citizen of the United States, owes permanent allegiance to the United States.” Therefore, U.S. citizens are also U.S. nationals. Non-citizen nationality status refers only individuals who were born either in American Samoa or on Swains Island to parents who are not citizens of the United States. The concept of dual nationality means that a person is a national of two countries at the same time. Each country has its own nationality laws based on its own policy. Persons may have dual nationality by automatic operation of different laws rather than by choice. For example, a child born in a foreign country to U.S. national parents may be both a U.S. national and a national of the country of birth. Or, an individual having one nationality at birth may naturalize at a later date in another country and become a dual national.” U.S. Department of State - Bureau of Consular Affairs
What’s the difference between being a Nationalist and a Patriot?
A Slate article
says, “Patriotism is generally understood to mean citizens’ love and loyalty to their country. How it differs from nationalism is not altogether clear, in part because nationalism has no agreed meaning. The term comes freighted with associations with dangerous and violent right-wing movements throughout history, including fascism, separatist movements like those of the Basques or Kurds, and racist movements like white nationalism. Some political scientists use nationalism to mean an extreme devotion to the nation, in which loyalty to the nation outweighs all other interests. Others use the term in a less negative way to mean simply the belief that a community sharing certain common attributes (shared values, culture, language, race, or religion) is entitled to self-rule. In this latter understanding, every citizen who is loyal to the nation is a nationalist.”
A Huffington Post article says, “Nationalism and patriotism are two words which are often used interchangeably. This is incorrect since there is a world of difference between the two concepts, in spite of a few shared ideals. While patriotism fundamentally means affection for one's country and willingness to defend it, nationalism is a more extreme, unforgiving form of allegiance to one's country.“
What does it mean to be a permanent resident?
Permanent residency allows a person (originally from a different country) to permanently live and work in the United States. A permanent resident can travel outside of the United States, and freely return. Also, they can petition for close family members to become permanent residents. However, permanent residents cannot vote. After meeting certain conditions, permanent residents may choose to apply for citizenship through a process called naturalization. (Note that permanent residents are informally known as green card holders, but the term “permanent resident” may be preferred over “green card holder.”)
For which students might nationality be complicated?
Taiwanese and Chinese
Israeli and Palastinian
Kurds and Turkish/Syrian/Iraqi/Iranian