My mom is not, by anyone's definition, patriotic; still, I never thought anything of her not getting a U.S. passport despite 45 years of residence.
I, myself, have been carrying two passports for no real reason since I turned 21. I'd never even used the Liberian passport until I drove to Sierra Leone last month (when, suddenly, it was useful to be an African traveler). At the border, after being laughed at by idle customs agents for not being especially Liberian, this transpired:
I have since verified that I am, indeed, totally illegally carrying a foreign passport in addition to my Liberian one. It seems I'm going to have to pick one. (Is eenie-meenie appropriate?)
I had a friend, M, who used to refer to certain situations as reverse-racism, suggesting that actual racism only went one way along the human greyscale. I always thought that was funny. Expats sometimes refer to Liberia's citizenship requirements as racist. So does Wikipedia:
Its citizenship laws have been widely accused of being explicitly racist. Multiple citizenship was not permitted nor is it permitted in revisions of the constitution. Liberia is also one of the relatively few remaining countries in the world conferring nationality solely on the basis of race. Only persons of black African origins may obtain citizenship (although Liberian law allows members of other races to hold permanent residency status).Within Liberia itself, the wider implications of the policy are part of a heated debate in which native Liberians themselves have acknowledged that non-African permanent residents are crucial contributors to the country's economic activities and innovation system, mainly the wealthy and affluent Lebanese community.
So on the one hand, you've got foreigners who settle in and fall in love with Liberia but are never allowed in the club; then you've got brats like me who don't know anything about anything but get a membership card without trying (as long as I, you know, resign from all the other clubs).
There are repatriates here who spent years abroad but have always, always been Liberian and would forfeit citizenship elsewhere in a heartbeat. I haven't decided whether this is patriotism or a way to mollify resentment towards the been-tos -- Liberians who have lived or studied in (and, thus, been to) the West. I am not a been-to and feel no such guilt. But my mother is. And for all her beef with the country, her passport will always read L-I-B-E-R-I-A.
And when the men come for me, I will give them back my Liberian passport and thank them for letting me visit.
I, myself, have been carrying two passports for no real reason since I turned 21. I'd never even used the Liberian passport until I drove to Sierra Leone last month (when, suddenly, it was useful to be an African traveler). At the border, after being laughed at by idle customs agents for not being especially Liberian, this transpired:
Agent: You sound American.
Me: I grew up there.
Agent: When did you come to Liberia?
Me: September.
Agent: Why are there no stamps in this passport?
Me: I just renewed it.
Agent: When did it expire?
Me: Years ago.
Agent: You came into the country with an expired passport?
Me: No. I used my American one.
Agent: How is that possible? You can't be both.
Me: I can't be both?
Agent: It's against the law.
Me: How is that possible?
Agent: It just is.
Me: And no one said anything when I asked to be Liberian?
Agent: Hmm. Yeah. You fell through the cracks.
I have since verified that I am, indeed, totally illegally carrying a foreign passport in addition to my Liberian one. It seems I'm going to have to pick one. (Is eenie-meenie appropriate?)
I had a friend, M, who used to refer to certain situations as reverse-racism, suggesting that actual racism only went one way along the human greyscale. I always thought that was funny. Expats sometimes refer to Liberia's citizenship requirements as racist. So does Wikipedia:
Its citizenship laws have been widely accused of being explicitly racist. Multiple citizenship was not permitted nor is it permitted in revisions of the constitution. Liberia is also one of the relatively few remaining countries in the world conferring nationality solely on the basis of race. Only persons of black African origins may obtain citizenship (although Liberian law allows members of other races to hold permanent residency status).Within Liberia itself, the wider implications of the policy are part of a heated debate in which native Liberians themselves have acknowledged that non-African permanent residents are crucial contributors to the country's economic activities and innovation system, mainly the wealthy and affluent Lebanese community.
So on the one hand, you've got foreigners who settle in and fall in love with Liberia but are never allowed in the club; then you've got brats like me who don't know anything about anything but get a membership card without trying (as long as I, you know, resign from all the other clubs).
There are repatriates here who spent years abroad but have always, always been Liberian and would forfeit citizenship elsewhere in a heartbeat. I haven't decided whether this is patriotism or a way to mollify resentment towards the been-tos -- Liberians who have lived or studied in (and, thus, been to) the West. I am not a been-to and feel no such guilt. But my mother is. And for all her beef with the country, her passport will always read L-I-B-E-R-I-A.
And when the men come for me, I will give them back my Liberian passport and thank them for letting me visit.
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