We are all Americans, It is my birthright!
By Jaganath Poojari
The Immigration and Naturalisation Service (INS) of the United States put out a notice stating that "we are all Americans" is not a good enough reason to get a visa to the United States.
After the September 11 attacks, Ferruccio De Bortoli, managing editor, Corriere della Sera, Milan, Italy had remarked in his paper that, "We are all Americans," to show solidarity with those affected by the tragedy.
Since then the remark has been widely quoted without any deference to its author. From world leaders like Israel's Ex-PM Netanyahu to milkmen
in China have used that remark with great effect.
Yet its most interesting adoption was in visa applications to the US. Thousands of applications have been made on the basis of the remark. This suggests that many people took that remark literally.
A notice from the INS recently stating that it is not sufficient to use the remark to apply for citizenship added to the confusion. Many applicants misinterpreted the statement to mean that it was possible to use "we are all Americans" as a reason for visa applications.
A prominent immigration lawyer in New Jersey had said that nowhere in the notice did it say anything about the remark being invalid for visa processing, referring to the earlier notice. Many other lawyers also took that position leading to an increase in visa applications under this non-existent category.
The United States Senate Foreign Affairs Committee chair also referred to the trend as very disturbing. In his press briefing, he is reported to have said that love of Coca-Cola or Levis is not a valid reason either.
"While America is overwhelmed by the show of support implied in the 'We are all Americans' remark, it is not an acceptable reason to justify a US visa."
Applications from Indians in various consulates also reflected how this expression was taken too literally. It had also resulted in longer lines at the consulates. The news of the notice hadn't yet reached many in the queue outside the Bombay US Consulate when this author visited the Consulate.
Amirlal, a grey haired man in his fifties who had been waiting in his pajamas since the early hours had also written "we are all Americans" in the box asking for reasons to visit. "Of course we are all Americans. Why not? It is my birthright," he said. An applicant who, had travelled two days without berth on a train from Quilon, Kerala said, "Not only are we Indians but also Americans."
He was wearing a "Zimbly Americans" T-shirt.
A lot of applicants have been were disappointed with the notice. BAI Tech, a software company in central Mumbai said it was going to lose significant market share as a they had hired a lot employees to be sent to the US presumably on this visa as regular work visas known as H-1s were
hard to come by.
The Consulates in India are handing out pamphlets in all Indian languages to clear the misconception.
The pamphlet says that there is not a special category called "we are all Americans". It is titled, rather obscurely 'Notice # IN7624F-009.367'.
This author too was denied a US visa, hence only local moods and reactions could be judged.
World reactions will be covered after this author obtains a visa to go to Canada. It has been said that it is easy to go anywhere else from there.
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