American having a child in Japan

[StonerPenguin]

Originally Posted by Sitron

The US is very powerful, nobody wants to mess with a dude with an American passport when he's abroad.

Looks like somebody has never seen National Geographic's "Locked up Abroad"...

[Nyororin]

Originally Posted by koolawant

so wait, your child is not a US citizen. Ok, well if I got married and my spouse is japanese but I'm american can I instead get my child a japanese citizenship instead of american?

My son would be a US citizen if there had not been such a horrific mess and fees involved in getting said citizenship.
If your spouse is Japanese, your child can get Japanese citizenship. It doesn`t matter where the child is born.
On the other hand, even if your child is born in Japan, if neither of you is Japanese the child will not receive citizenship.

BTW how's your son now? Is he doing ok? And how are you?

He is fine now. I am also just fine.
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Personally I think your son is better off without it. But that's just me.

I wonder how you feel about the situation?

Better off without it is a bit of a stretch.
I do still have relatives in the US, and even if I am not close, should something happen to them I would feel quite obligated to travel there. My son not having a US passport makes things MUCH more difficult. I have to carry around tons of documentation proving he is my son, proving I have permission to have him with me, proving that I plan to take him back into Japan, etc etc.
Regardless of anything political, it is an incredible pain. And on a trip to show him to my grandmother (who raised me) on her death bed - I was shown just how incredibly frustrating these things could be. There is a large difference between the official treatment of US citizens in the US and non-citizens.

Really, all political concerns can be tossed out the window in the face of convenience and comfort. Attachment or loyalty to country is not the issue - it`s all down to paperwork and legal pains.

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I am curious also though, how do you feel about your son only having Japanese citizenship, Nyororin? I mean, do you think its a loss at all, or do you think that there are benefits to being Japanese that he wouldn't have as an American? I know one isn't 'better' than another, but which would have you preferred him to have, if given the choice?

For a child, there is no "one or the other". Until 20-something, if you are born with it, you can indeed have dual citizenship in Japan. I would have preferred just to have both, as there are advantages to either. But if pressed to say one is better, I would indeed choose Japanese over US as we live in Japan. There is no reason to insist on having citizenship in a country we do not live in, and have no plans to live in.
If only one was an option - the benefits to having Japanese citizenship are everyday things - no hassle with visas, etc.
The benefits to having US citizenship are... less profound in daily life. Ease in travel is really the largest I can come up with. And not because the US is somehow feared and puts other countries in awe - Japan isn`t exactly a country that isn`t respected. More because *I* carry a US passport and travel using it. It`s just a pain having a minor child with you who does not have the same nationality.

[Atredies]

Originally Posted by duceduc

I am an American citizen living in Japan. My wife holds both an American and a Japanese passport. We are expecting our first child this June.

may god bless this child. you will be a great father.