Why dual citizenship should not be a punishment

I never post status updates on social media; however, I feel that it is important for others to understand why I am so passionate about this subject.

As an Iranian-American, (legally obtaining dual citizenship), the #HR158 bill (which was quietly passed by the house representatives earlier this week) affects me and others like me directly.

Although I was not born in either country in which I hold a passport, these two countries are all I know. I was born in UAE and legally became an Iranian citizen (through my bloodline). I learned to speak Farsi and English fluently. I grew up in the United States and traveled to Iran several times to visit family. I never lived there, the US is where I can call home. I’ve spent 25+ years getting accustomed to the “American culture” yet I still hold my Persian values at hand.

I moved to Orange County, California from Dubai, UAE when I was two years old with my mom and dad. I then came to where I’ve called home for the past 23 years, Pennsylvania. Once I moved to the States (even though I was very young), I didn’t get much time to spend with my family (grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles, etc.) Being an only child, my parents were all I knew. However, when I turned 18 I got the opportunity to travel to Iran and visit family which I had not seen since I was two years old. I finally felt like I had a “real family”. I traveled back and fourth to Iran several times since then and just recently my grandmom came to visit me here. I could not be happier to finally have her with me after all these years. This law may prevent me from experiencing this happiness again if it is passed. Which is why this subject means so much to me.

If this law is passed, it will make it difficult for me and others like myself (who hold dual citizenship) to travel and live abroad in 38 countries including Europe who will accept this new law. When I turned 18, I was asked a question: “Wouldn’t you want the same opportunities as people who are born in the US?” I then made the decision to take an oath and legally become a US citizen. By becoming an American citizen, I thought I had the same rights as others who hold the same title. However, if this new law is passed, it will divide America further apart. This is a county which houses people from all different ethnicities. It’s a place where we are told we can live together in unison. It saddens me to see a world where people are judged based on their passport.

Although I do possess an Iranian passport, remember that I am also a citizen of the United States of America. Two different countries, two different cultures, two different passports; however, both countries are very dear to my heart.#ShowYourDual

Unfortunately, with everything going on in today’s world, it is no surprise that this potential law is in process of being passed. Although there are many other Middle Eastern countries on the list which will prevent passport holders to travel to, Iran has done nothing wrong. It is the only Middle Eastern country on the list which is finally on good terms with the United States.

I believe that one should only speak about a subject if they have a first hand experience at it. With that being said, here is a link to an article which I proudly wrote about Iran while in college describing exactly what I saw while I visited the country in 2005 and 2007.

By signing this petition, 100,000 legal American citizens (like myself) who also hold dual citizenship and who live in the US can have some piece of mind and won’t have to worry about the next time they’ll see their family members.

*This post was originally published by Parisa Ghafari via Instagram and Facebook*