Franco-American Flophouse | Multicultural Meanderings

The Franco-American Flophouse: Flophouse American Diaspora Reading List

2016/02/15 Leave a comment

Victoria Ferauge’s latest impressive compilation:

Sometimes we feel we straddle two cultures; at other times, that we fall between two stools.”

Salman Rushdie, Imaginary Homelands: Essays and Criticism 1981-1991

Time for an update of the Flophouse American Diaspora Reading List – the best books and articles I’ve read recently about American citizens and communities abroad. New books are in green. As always, please feel free to add to the list.

This list has three sections: Upcoming titles – Books that have not been published yet but that I plan on reading; General books/articles – the larger view. Some talk about specific issues (like citizenship), others are studies, portraits or serious research about Americans abroad; Expat autobiographies – Accounts of Americans in different countries. These are not books that tell a potential American migrant how to live abroad. These are personal accounts that talk about what happens to American identity when it gets transplanted somewhere else for a year or two, or for a lifetime.

Source: The Franco-American Flophouse: Flophouse American Diaspora Reading List

Filed under Citizenship, Immigration Tagged with expatriates, Franco-American Flophouse, USA, Victoria Ferauge

FATCA/CBT: See You in Court

2014/09/11 Leave a comment

The Canadian angle:

Today, the Alliance for the Defence of Canadian Sovereignty ADCS-ADSC retained Jim Butera, a Washington D.C. attorney with Jones Walker LLP. Mr. Butera will explore legal options to reverse practices of the United States government preventing Canadian citizens who are “Accidental Americans” from freeing themselves of U.S. citizenship and obligations.

Accidental Americans include those born in the U.S. but who left the United States at a young age to live permanently in another country. Although they have no meaningful ties to the U.S., they are claimed as “U.S. citizens” and subject to lifetime taxation on their non-U.S. income. Accidental Americans not compliant with the Internal Revenue Service IRS are considered by the U.S. to be “tax cheats” not paying their “fair share”.

The Franco-American Flophouse: FATCA/CBT: See You in Court.

Filed under Citizenship Tagged with ADCS-ADSC, Alliance for the Defence of Canadian Sovereignty, FATCA, Franco-American Flophouse, Victoria Ferauge

The Franco-American Flophouse: US Citizenship Renunciation Fees to be Raised 422%

2014/09/02 Leave a comment

Victoria Ferauge on the increase in fees for citizenship renunciation (looks like a tax grab to me):

Well, its a complicated labor-intensive procedure:

“The CoSM demonstrated that documenting a U.S. citizen’s renunciation of citizenship is extremely costly, requiring American consular officers overseas to spend substantial amounts of time to accept, process, and adjudicate cases. For example, consular officers must confirm that the potential renunciant fully understands the consequences of renunciation, including losing the right to reside in the United States without documentation as an alien. Other steps include verifying that the renunciant is a U.S. citizen, conducting a minimum of two intensive interviews with the potential renunciant, and reviewing at least three consular systems before administering the oath of renunciation. The final approval of the loss of nationality must be done by law within the Directorate of Overseas Citizens Services in Washington, D.C., after which the case is returned to the consular officer overseas for final delivery of the Certificate of Loss of Nationality to the renunciant.”

And demand for this service is strong yep, they say that. 450 USD, they say, was already below cost and they are just raising the fee in order to not lose more money on the service.

Now I’m just an old lady and I don’t pretend to be the brightest crayon in the box but if the goal here is to “break even” then they are looking at this all wrong. Read the outline of the procedure again. Does that sound efficient to you? Just the assumption that any US citizen showing up to renounce his US citizenship doesn’t really understand what he/she is doing and has to have it explained ad nauseum intensive interviews? and then be sent off to a corner like a little kid to reflect on it before being allowed to come back and do the deed, is just ridiculous. Right there Id say just treating people like adults and assuming that they do know their own mind would save a lot of time, money and hassle all around.

And the narrative that will come out of this fee raise is not likely to focus on “cost recovery” at US consulates around the world but on what is going to be perceived as a punitive act on the part of the US government. It looks like they are so embarrassed by the renunciation numbers and the lines to renounce at the US consulates that they are looking for ways to reduce or slow down the demand. Think about that. Has the state of US citizenship in the world really come to the point where the US government thinks that Americans have to be actively discouraged from renouncing?

The Franco-American Flophouse: US Citizenship Renunciation Fees to be Raised 422%.

Filed under Citizenship Tagged with FATCA, Franco-American Flophouse, Renunciation fee, USA, Victoria Ferauge

Flophouse Citizenship and International Migration Reading List Updated

2014/08/28 1 Comment

VictoriaFerauge’s updated list on citizenship and immigration readings:

Global Marriage: Cross-Border Marriage Migration in Global Context (2010) by Dr. Lucy Williams. Outstanding look at cross-border marriages from a global perspective. Williams takes on the myths, stereotypes about foreign brides (and grooms) and counters them with solid research. A refreshing antidote to the many silly things said about those “marriage migrants.”

The Scramble for Citizens: Dual Nationality and State Competition for Immigrants (2013) by David Cook-Martin. A fine book that looks at migration from Spain and Italy to Argentina in one era and the reverse migration from Argentina back to Spain and Italy of those immigrants’ descendants in another. The author does a fine job of showing how it is almost impossible for a state to make (and make stick) immigration/emigration and citizenship law unilaterally. There is a larger context with sending and receiving states competing for the productive power and loyalty of immigants/emigrants. This competition takes place over generations which may (the author says) have interesting implications for large receiving states like the United States.

Democracy and the Foreigner (2003) by Bonnie Honig. Great read. Honig takes the idea of “the foreigner” as a vexing issue to be solved through assimilation or rejection and turns it around. Are there circumstances when the stranger is not a problem at all, but rather a solution to what ails a community?

Migration and the Great Recession: the Transatlantic Experience (2011) edited by Demetrios Papademetriou et al. If you were wondering how the economic crisis in the first decade of the 21st century had an impact on migration, this book of essays from the Migration Policy Institute is good place to begin. Data from the U.S., U.K., Spain, Portugal, Ireland, Sweden and Germany.

Anthropology and Migration: Essays on Transnationalism, Ethnicity, and Identity (2003) by Caroline Brettell. An anthropologist looks at migration, transnationalism, and assimilation/integration through a population she knows well: the Portuguese diaspora. (Flophouse review here.)
Moving Matters: Paths of Serial Migration (2013) by Susan Ossman. .A look into the minds of “serial migrants.” Those who immigrate once (like all other migrants) and then do something that shatters the standard immigrant tale – they move on. (Flophouse review here.)

International Migration in the Age of Crisis and Globalization (2010) by Andres Solimano. Well-written, well-argued book. The author is ambitious and confronts some of the most difficult topics around migration: Why is International Migration Such a Contentious Issue? Are Goods and Capital More Important than People? Don’t Always ‘Blame’ the North, and so on.

The Citizen and the Alien: Dilemmas of Contemporary Membership (2006) by Linda Bosniak. Refreshing take on the dilemmas of citizenship and democratic ideals. Who is included/excluded and on what basis? The problem of democracy and the legal permanent resident. Complex questions with no easy answers.
A Nation of Emigrants: How Mexico Manages Its Migration by David Fitzgerald (2009) The internal American battle over immigration from Latin America is a very public debate but it’s only half the story. Mexico, the U.S.’s southern neighbor and a major sending country, has made and is still making policy to manage its emigration and its emigrants. This is an extraordinary book and there is much to be learned from Mexico’s efforts and policies – even when they have failed.

The Sovereign Citizen: Denaturalization and the Origins of the American Republic (2013) by Patrick Weil Really superb book. Excellent research into the un-making of American citizens in the 20th century.

Citizenship and Those Who Leave: The Politics of Emigration and Expatriation by Nancy L. Green and Francois Weil (2007) I contend that you cannot talk about immigration without also discussing emigration. A fine work – excellent chapters on how states (UK, Holland, U.S., France and others) have tried to manage emigration.

Citizenship and Immigration by Christian Joppke (2010) This one covers a wide variety of old and new ideas about citizenship. A good place to begin for someone who is just delving into how immigration/emigration and citizenship are entwined. Joppke refutes the idea of the decline of citizenship – an argument worth reading..

International Migration and the Globalization of Domestic Politics edited by Rey Koslowski. Some very good insights into how international migration and diaspora politics affect politics back in the home country.

Immigration and Citizenship in Japan by Erin Aeran Chung (2010) Excellent book about Japan as a country of immigration. “Japan is currently the only advanced industrial democracy with a fourth-generation immigrant problem.” Chung tells the story of how this came about and the impact this has had on modern Japanese citizenship law.

Rights and Duties of Dual Nationals: Evolution and Prospects edited by David A. Martin and Kay Hailbronner (2003) Fine set of articles on dual citizenship and such things as military service, extradition, political rights (Peter Spiro), denationalization and many others. Pricey but worth every penny.

International Migration and Citizenship Today by Niklaus Steiner (2009). A very fine book on the political, economic and cultural impact of immigration. He frames the discussion around two essential questions: What Criteria to Admit Migrants? and What Criteria to Grant Citizenship?

Citizenship Today: Global Perspectives and Practices edited by T. Alexander Aleinikoff and Douglas Klusmeyer (2001). This was one of the best books I read on the topic of citizenship with essays by Patrick Weil, Karen Knop and Richard T. Ford, among many others. I particularly enjoyed Ford’s contribution called “City-States and Citizenship” which was, for me, a real revelation.

States without Nations: Citizenship for Mortals by Jacqueline Stevens (2009) A strong critique of birthright citizenship in all forms and a call for citizenship based on residency.

The Perils of Belonging: Authochthony, Citizenship, and Exclusion in Africa and Europe by Peter Geschier (2009). Outstanding read. States make citizens and states can also “unmake” them. Nativism and the never-ending debate over who really “belongs.”

The Politics of Citizenship in Europe by Marc Morje Howard (2009). A really fine study of the citizenship policies of the oldest member-states of the EU. Read this book to grasp how citizenship laws have changed over time and the reasons why.

The Future Governance of Citizenship by Dora Kostakopoulou ((2008). Good overview of the current citizenship models and a proposal for an “anational” citizenship framework.

Beyond Citizenship: American Identity After Globalization by Peter Spiro (2008). Excellent book that examines how globalization has changed the value of citizenship overall and American citizenship in particular. Very thoughtful. Very well-written.
Qu’est-ce qu’un Français? by Patrick Weil (2002). Mr. Weil spent over 8 years in the archives researching this book and it is fascinating. France has been something of a test lab for just about every combination of jus soli and jus sanguinis citizenship possible. Everything has been tried and tried again. I read the book in French but it is also available in the usual places in English.

Gender and International Migration in Europe by Eleonore Kofman, Annie Phizacklea, Parvati Raghuram and Rosemary Sales (2000). If you are looking for some empirical evidence (as I was) for how migration, immigration policy and citizenship rights have different outcomes and impacts for women, this is a good place to start.

The Birthright Lottery: Citizenship and Global Inequality by Ayelet Shacher (2009) An attack on both jus soli and jus sanguinis methods of transmitting citizenship. Fascinating argument.
Aliens in Medieval Law: the Origins of Modern Citizenship by Keechang Kim ((2000). I’ve been meaning to write a post about this book since it has a very original take on the historical roots of modern citizenship. I recommend it highly.
Human Rights or Citizenship? by Paulina Tambakaki (2010) Interesting ideas about how traditional models of citizenship and human rights legislation are in conflict.

International Migration, Remittances and the Brain Drain edited by Caglar Ozden and Maurice Schiff for the World Bank (2006) This book contains a number of very interesting essays about the economic impact of remittances and brain drain/gain. The editors point out that the potential for economic benefit for all parties (individuals and sending and receiving countries) is substantial but policy decisions need to be made carefully (we are talking about people after all).
Let Them In: the Case for Open Borders by Jason L. Riley (2008) The author makes a very radical argument for simply opening the doors and letting people move where they wish.For info I have created a Citizenship and Migration book list on Goodread’s Listopia here. Good place to read reviews and find quotations from the above books.

Flophouse Citizenship and International Migration Reading List Updated

Filed under Citizenship, Immigration Tagged with Franco-American Flophouse, Victoria Ferauge

Virginia Hillis, Gwendolyn Deegan sue Ottawa over new FATCA tax rules

2014/08/16 1 Comment

For those who follow implementation of the US FATCA, this Canadian court case will be of interest. My understanding from those who follow FATCA closely, the deal Canada struck with the US is more protective of Canadian rights than that signed with other countries (see The Franco-American Flophouse for regular updates):

The women are American-born dual citizens of Canada and the U.S who left the states in childhood and have lived in Canada for decades. They argue the recently enacted Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act violates their rights as Canadians under the Charter Of Rights And Freedoms.

Windsor, Ont., resident Virginia Hillis, 68, and Torontonian Gwendolyn Louise Deegan, 52, stepped up as the figureheads of a fight that has hundreds of thousands of Canadian residents fuming.

Both women were born in the U.S. but have never worked south of the border, and as such have never paid or filed U.S. taxes. Indeed, neither has ever had or used a U.S. passport.

“Gwen … has travelled to the United States in the past and has been questioned by a border officer as to why she, a person with a United States birthplace, does not have a United States passport to travel into and out of the United States, to which she always replies: Because I am a Canadian,” the pairs statement of claim reads.

Nonetheless, under the agreement that Ottawa agreed to comply with in February, Canadian banks are now obliged to hand over names and account numbers to the IRS of any clients that Uncle Sam suspects are U.S citizens.

Virginia Hillis, Gwendolyn Deegan sue Ottawa over new FATCA tax rules – Business – CBC News.

Filed under Citizenship Tagged with FATCA, Franco-American Flophouse, taxation, USA

Citizenship & International Migration Reading List

2014/02/07 Leave a comment

Others may have other lists, and I confess to not having read most of the books on this list, but Victoria Ferauge has a good annotated reading list for those interested in these issues.

Citizenship & International Migration Reading List.

Filed under Citizenship Tagged with Franco-American Flophouse, Victoria Ferauge

The Hijab and Integration

2013/10/25 Leave a comment

Nice commentary by Victoria Ferauge on the hijab. Required reading for Premier Maurois and those in Quebec in favour of the Charter. My favourite quote (among many):

Quebec (and other places) are trying to judge what is inside someone’s head by what he or she wears on their bodies. It’s matching insides to outsides – always a perilous undertaking fraught with error and misunderstandings. If one thinks it is possible to see a “message” and make judgements about a woman based on what she wears, then it follows that all women everywhere can be judged that way. So then, what does it mean, mes amis, if a woman wears a short black skirt, a tight blouse and high heels? What “messages” is she sending? And are we allowed to treat her differently because of how we interpret her intentions manifested through her fashion sense?

Do we really want to go there? For that matter, weren’t we there a few decades ago?

The Franco-American Flophouse: The Hijab and Integration.

Filed under Charte des valeurs québécoise, Interculturalisme, Multiculturalism Tagged with France, Franco-American Flophouse, hijab, Premier Maurois, Quebec, Victoria Ferauge

The Franco-American Flophouse: Dual Citizens in a Secular Society

2013/09/21 Leave a comment

An interesting take on dual citizenship from a religious perspective. Issue more of a Quebec issue with the proposed Charter, as in the rest of Canada there is space for religious symbols (although we sometimes suffer from political correctness with “holiday trees”).

The Franco-American Flophouse: Dual Citizens in a Secular Society.

Filed under Charte des valeurs québécoise, Interculturalisme, Multiculturalism, Religion Tagged with dual citizens, Franco-American Flophouse, human-rights, Victoria Ferauge