NATURALIZATION LAWS, acts placing foreign-born persons in the same legal position as natural-born citizens. The conditions under and the manner in which an alien may be ad mitted to become a citizen of the United States are prescribed by the United States Revised Statutes.
Declaration of The alien must declare upon oath before a Circuit Court or a District Court of the United States or a Dis trict or Supreme Court of the Territories, or a court of record of any of the States having common-law jurisdiction and a seal and clerk, two years at least prior to his admission, that it is, bona fide, his intention to become a citizen of the United States, and to renounce forever all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince or state, and particularly to the one of which he may be at the time a citizen or subject.
Oath on Application for He must at the time of his application to be ad mitted declare on oath, before some one of the courts above specified, that he will support the Constitution of the United States, and that he absolutely and entirely renounces and abjures all allegiance and fidelity to every foreign prince, potentate, state or sovereignty, and par ticularly, by name, to the prince, potentate, state or sovereignty of which he was before a citizen or which proceedings must be recorded by the clerk of the court.
Conditions for If it shall ap pear to the satisfaction of the court to which the alien has applied that he has made a declaration to become a citizen two years be fore applying for final papers, and has resided continuously within the United States for at least five years, and within the State or Terri tory where such court is at the time held one year at least; and that during that time The has behaved as a man of, good moral character, attached to the principles of the Constitution of the United States, and well disposed to the good order and happiness of the same," he will be admitted to citizenship.
Titles of If the applicant has borne any hereditary title or order of nobility he must make an express renunciation of the same at the time of his application.
alien of the age of 21 years and upward who has been in the armies of the United States, and has been honorably dis charged therefrom, may become a citizen on his petition, without any previous declaration of intention, provided that he has resided in the United States at least one year previous to his application, and is of good moral character.
(It is judicially decided that residence of one year in a particular State is not requisite).
Minors.— Any alien under the age of 21 years who has resided in the United States three years next preceding his arriving at that age, and who has continued to reside therein to the time he may make application to be ad mitted a citizen thereof, may after he arrives at the age of 21 years, and after he has resided five years within the United States, including the three years of his minority, be admitted a citizen; but he must make a declaration on oath and prove to the satisfaction of the court that for two years next preceding it has been his bona fide intention to become a citizen.
Children of Naturalized The children of persons who have been duly natu ralized, being under the age of 21 years at the time of the naturalization of their parents, shall, if dwelling in the United States, be considered as citizens thereof.
naturalization of Chinamen is expressly prohibited by the Laws of 1882. Under the naturalization laws now in force, only persons and persons of °African nativity and of African descent)) are eligible to naturalization. Japanese, Burmese and Ha waians have generally been held by the courts not to be included within either category and therefore not eligible. Indians are excluded under the general laws but they may and often have been naturalized by special acts or by treaty. They may also acquire citizenship by taking up public land and separating themselves from their tribes. Polygamists and anarchists are debarred from naturalization by recent acts of Congress.