Liberian By Birth, American By paper
July 30, 2007 By Nvasekie N. Konneh

During my last visit to Liberia in 2006, I went to the Foreign Ministry to investigate a story that was circulating around that some Liberians were being denied Liberian passport because they were Mandingoes. I went with journalist Mike Jabateh of the Analyst Newspaper. The Foreign Minister, Hon. George Wallace welcomed us into the spacious conference room of his ministry. After asking several questions and hearing some responses from Minister Wallace and some of his staff, as a side comment, I told him I am a nine-year veteran of the US Military. He told me that by serving in a foreign military, I have lost my Liberian citizenship. Until then I didn’t know that serving in a foreign military has automatically nullified a person’s Liberian citizenship. As time went by, I naturalized as an American citizen for two important reasons: to be allowed to specialize in military journalism and to help bring my wife at the time to the US, something that would have taken longer to do as a permanent resident. One benefit I will always remember about my US citizenship was filing for my mother from Liberia to seek urgent medical treatment over here in the US. Even if there was no other reason for becoming a US citizen, bringing my mother at such a critical moment was sufficient enough. So by serving in the US Military and naturalizing as an American, I have lost my Liberian citizenship on two counts?

The question that keeps popping up in my head is how can I stop being Liberian when every day I think Liberian, live Liberian, love and care about Liberia just like any other Liberian. I may be living outside of Liberia but my mind is there always. Even if I want to stop thinking about Liberia it is impossible to do so because my mother and the rest of the family are there. I have to keep in constant contact with them to know my mother’s condition. By thinking about and caring for my mother, by extension, I am thinking about Liberia. This is so much so because Liberia is the land of my nativity. No other country can replace Liberia in my heart. The fact that I served in the US Military and became a naturalized American citizen was not done because I didn’t like Liberia. I don’t think any Liberian is more patriotic than me.

Back to that conversation with the Foreign Minister: I said to him that as far I am concerned, I am not going to renounce my American citizenship and neither do I agree that I am no longer a Liberian. I told him I am a citizen of both countries by birth and by paper. I will hold on to my Liberian citizenship because it’s my birth right and to the American citizenship because of its practical benefits such as ease of travel. As a writer, I often think about the world being a global village and as such I like to travel in different countries and to enter many of those countries, I don’t have to apply for any visa. I enjoy that privilege and don’t want to lose it. That’s why I am part of the campaign for dual-citizenship. I am sure there are other Liberians who may have other reasons for seeking citizenship of other countries.

Another reason I am supporting dual-citizenship is because I don’t want to be on the down-low or the “don’t ask don’t tell” lie and hypocrisy that most of us Liberians are living. It is no secret that there are many Liberians who are naturalized citizens of other countries but they keep it as a secret for political reasons. We travel to the neighboring countries, obtain travel documents from the Liberian embassies under the pretense that we are either living in Ghana or Ivory Coast. We know we are lying but we don’t feel guilty about it simply because we want to by-pass the law. Why should we continue to lie all the time to ourselves and our fellow beings? When I told a friend that I was going to apply for US citizenship, fully explaining to him my reasons, he advised that it is a good idea but “you have to keep it as a secret if you have any political ambition.” He told me that “down the road if you decide to run for political office, it will be used against you.” I told him it was not good to consciously lie about something that I know to be true. He told me that is what everyone he knows who is a US citizen is doing. What I told him then was that I don’t have to be in politics to contribute to Liberia’s development and progress. So my decision to support the campaign for dual-citizenship is not motivated by any desire for any political consideration. If that were the case, I could move with the flow of lies and hypocrisy. But consciously I don’t have any reason to lie and the dual-citizenship campaign is a way for all of us to come clean about who we are.

As it is now, the bill to allow dual citizenship in Liberia has been introduced in the Liberian House of Representatives by Rep. Armah Sarnor of Gbarpolu County and Rep. Vaforay Kamara of Lofa County respectively. This is a very historic bill before our lawmakers and I can only pray and hope that their colleagues will understand it and give their backing to it. This bill can only help our country. No harm to our beloved Liberia is intended here.

One argument the opponents of dual citizenship has put forward is if someone with dual citizenship commits crime in one country and runs to the other country. One mentioned the Chucky Taylor issue. Yes, Chucky is both a Liberian and American. While he might have committed crimes in both countries, Liberia and the US, Liberia has not brought any charge against him. While he is a free man in Liberia, in the US, he is in detention for passport fraud. So using chucky Taylor as an example of why dual citizenship is wrong. There are people who are green card holders but are fugitive from the law in Liberia. So the simple answer to the concern raised by the dual citizenship opponents with Chucky Taylor as an example does not hold any water.

Once again, bravo to the honorable men of the House of Legislature, who introduced this historic bill. May God bless their actions. May God bless Liberia.

About the author: Nvasekie Konneh is a nine-year veteran of the US Navy and the author of the book of poetry, “Going to War for America.” He’s a community activist and chairman of the Liberian Writers Network (LWN) and Editor in Chief of the Limany website. Besides writing, Nvasekie Konneh is a music producer/promoter and CEO of the KonnLove Entertainment and Production based in Philadelphia, USA. Nvasekie Konneh is the Executive Producer of the Positive Force’s CD, “Liberia, Land of the Free,” and Massebe Kamara’s debut CD, “Dengo.” Contact info: KonnLove@aol.com or 215 869 2463.