Thursday, September 17, 2009

US Citizenship

I am looking for a job. I don't care if I work as a cashier at the Commissary or in a nifty office because it's not the time to be picky.

However, when I went for grocery shopping one of the cashiers told me that they are desperately looking for people because all the students went back to school. So I thought "Cool, shouldn't be to hard to get that job." went online and checked out the job openings.
Weeell.... apparently you have to be a US Citizen to get a job at the Commissary and that is because it is Government run (correct me if I am wrong).

Many said that it isn't true and that people would lie to me because they've seen foreign born spouses working at the commissary. Well, those spouses probably became US Citizens, gave up their Citizenship or have dual Citizenship.
Hubby suggested that I should become a US Citizen as soon as I can because it would be a lot easier to get Jobs.
I can see it every day. I can be an FRG Leader because it is all volunteering but can't be the FRSA because that is a Government job and therefor you have to be a US Citizen. I can be a bagger at the Commissary but can't work as a Cashier because it's for US Citizens.

Isn't it fun? As long as I volunteer and work for free I don't have any problem at all to find a position. Hell, they take you with a handkiss but as soon as you are looking for a paid position that very same job is unavailable because it's a GS job.

My friend Anne and me had the very same discussion not to long ago and she said the same thing my husband did. My parents on the other hand say I should not give up my citizenship and that is because I have more social security in Germany than in the States. In Germany we have health insurance, if we are unemployed we get unemployment no matter how long we are unemployed (HARTZ IV). It isn't much but enough to get by and you don't have to worry where you are going to live because a (for example) single person is entitled to a three bed room apartment of 45qm and unemployment covers the rent.

However, there is a possibility to get dual citizenship. But you can never be sure that you get it so I don't know how I am suppossed to feel about the whole thing. We are not even married for a year and everybody is talking to me about Citizenship. I know that I have to think about the whole thing because it isn't easy to throw away everything you are. It's my identity, where I come from, my culture, home, family, friends. It's my roots. I am German and it's already hard to know that my husband doesn't want to come back to Germany so I am the one that is following him. I am the one that is leaving everything behind and what if I don't get dual Citizenship? All those if's... but once I've given up my Citizenship to take over a new one there is no way back and that is why I am so scared.

It is one thing to follow my husband to a new country but a totally different thing to become a US Citizen and unless I can't be a dual Citizen I am not sure if I do it. It's who I am. I am German!


4 comments:

satakieli said...

I've had this exact problem, I originally did not want US citizenship because I did not want to give up my British citizenship.

But after a while I realised that it is highly unlikely that I will ever get to live in my home country ever again (that makes me so sad), and that I would like to be able to vote and do things that would be important for my sons future in the U.S. So I have to take the chance that they might want to take away my British passport.

It's a really difficult decision to make. I agree that it is one thing to follow your husband to another country but quite another to give up your citizenship to your home country.

Also not being able to get a job on post is a total pain in the ass, my German just isn't good enough for me to get a job on the economy!

C N Heidelberg said...

If you can get dual citizenship that would be great. If I had German citizenship I would definitely not want to give it up.

S said...

We've been married nearly 12 years now and I still don't have the US citizenship. I for sure will not give up my german one. Even if you'd had the dual citizenship right now, in Germany you wouldn't be allowed to work in a GS job as a US citizen as you are in Germany and are still considered a local national due to the taxing and germany knows you have the german citizenship.
My husband even got the Top security clearance with me being foreign, so I don't see a reason to do the citzenship. Also, you only can get it when you are outside of Germany. We both know we will be back after retirement and live the 50/50 life (50 % in Germany and 50 in Florida) plus with us owning a house here in Germany it would be stupid to give it up.

Diana said...

Also, ich habe heute mal bei uns nachgefragt und man muss bei uns kein US Staatsbuerger sein. Jede Ehefrau die moechte, und natuerlich auch dafuer geeignet ist, wird genommen, egal welcher Nationalitaet. Mir wurde dann eine Filipinin vorgestellt, die erst Anfang September einen Job angefangen hat. Sie hat weder die duale Staatsbuergerschaft, noch die US Staatsbuergerschaft. Mir hat man dazu gesagt, selbst wenn es ausgeschrieben ist das man nur US Buerger nimmt, einfach bewerben. Und auch in der Shopette arbeitet eine Franzoesin. Alle sind 'nur' verheiratet. Also ich wuerde das nicht wirklich als "Luege" bezeichnen.
Haben die bei euch on Post kein so'n Job Dingens, wo man sich erkundigen kann? Laut Telefon vor laengerer Zeit wurde mir mitgeteilt, das man hier zumindest on Base 'ne Spouse sein muss, um ein Vorrecht fuer den Job zu haben.

Und wenn ich mal dazu kommen wuerde, ich wuerde die dt. Staatsbuergerschaft beibehalten.