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Failed Citizen

CNN: Unable to produce visa, teen is jailed

A German Teenager is facing deportation from America because he thought he was a citizen, but he’s not.

Bartsch, born in Esselbach, Germany, had arrived in the the United States on a 90-day visa in 1997 and easily blended in to this rural community.

He played on the football team at Pandora-Gilboa High School, worked odd jobs around farms and was popular with girls, all the while thinking he was a U.S. citizen. His roots didn’t help him with high school German classes, though; Bartsch struggled like everyone else, Schulte remembered.

This really bites!

I think if I ever adopt a kid from a foreign country, I will double and triple check that s/he’s become a citizen, and test it immediately by getting a passport. In the mean time, I vote for giving the kid citizenship.

7 comments to Failed Citizen

  • koko

    silly germans will they ever learn…

    When my brother turned 18 he didn’t sign up for the draft because he thought he didn’t have to because, well, he wasn’t american. Turns out he was. 20 years later he applied for US citizenship and thats when he found out that he should have signed up for the draft…he was questioned about in during his interview.

    Perhaps if these visa people actually told incoming immigrants about this stuff perhaps it wouldn’t be in question??

  • I think the problem is, at least for your brother and the kid in the story, is that one assumes what your parent/guardian tells you is correct. Few kids ever doubt the “truths” that they are told.

    Oddly, my Mom recently told me about a friend who had been adopted as a child in China, brought to America and thought she was a US citizen. It turns out that her parents had brought her in through the wrong port (something that actually matters), and hadn’t bothered to double check anything. As an adult, she applied for a passport and discovered that she wasn’t a citizen and had to get everything corrected… what a mess!

  • ChrisC

    Let’s deport everyone except the native Americans. I think I could handle living in Italy or Germany.

    (Dripping sarcasm)

  • Wannabeleader

    hey, guess what… i’m taking German… you should help me. Hit me up on AIM stephenkneff, or msn stevenkneff@hotmail.com. Later.

  • koko

    hahah, you want ADAM to help you with your german?!?!

    wow…

    (sorry adam, though your german is getting much better…it’s not at the level to be helping someone *giggles*)

  • koko

    PS to my last comment….

    Adam can help you with many things…like…stats, paseley shirts, international travel, and many other things…cause he’s smart 🙂 (i didn’t mean to sound like a butthole in my comment)

  • I say give him US citizenship. Who cares, really? I think as citizens of Earth we should be able to live where we want. Period. Hi Adam! I am in Germany now. It sure is cold. I start my German classes on Monday..Wish me luck!