Dual-citizenship Dopers, how patriotic do you feel about each nation?

In My Humble Opinion
1

Spinoff of a recent thread about patriotism:

I know we have a lot of Dopers where who have dual citizenship - possibly even some with 3 citizenships.

Do you feel that your patriotism gets rather watered down for both - kind of like splitting firewood between two fires so that each one burns with less heat than had all the sticks been consolidated for a single fire? (Weird analogy, but whatever,) Or do you care just as much about both nations as if they had each been the only nation you had?

Of course, there are many people for whom, even holding just a single nation’s citizenship, don’t feel patriotic or think that it patriotism is an unhealthy sentiment that paves the way for jingoism or other nasty views, and are wary of it.

2

Warning: Speaking for family one step removed to be clear, so some subjectivity in opinion and somewhat anecdotal.

My aunt’s family has dual Israeli / US citizenship. My aunt, her husband, and my 3 cousins moved to Israel around the time I was born, and my cousins were all minor children at the time.

All three of my cousins came back to the US for college, and two of the three have lived in the US nearly exclusively since, though they still visit often. The youngest returned and lived almost exclusively in Israel after college.

So, for the two eldest, figure 8-12 years of their formative years in Israel, followed by nearly 30 of being predominantly US residents.

BUT - when it comes to US politics, they vote almost exclusively based on how the candidate for whatever office stands on Israel. Rather than what may or may not be best for US citizens.

I suspect that for them, plus likely for any number of actual dual citizenship posters, that where you were, when/how old you were at the time, and the circumstances for gaining your dual citizenship is going to determine where your heart is.

Speaking for myself only, on a related subject, I spent most of my formative years growing up in Southern New Mexico, despite being born and living in MASS until I was nearly 6, and living in Colorado on and off since College (exclusively for the last 30 years). And yet, at some level, I consider myself a New Mexican in food and attitudes.

It was where I was, and what pervaded me when I became, well, ME. So it informs my deepest assumptions. I suspect the same for my dual-citizenship cousins, no matter how many decades of acculturation.

NOTE: THIS IS NOT SOME STATEMENT THAT AMERICAN JEWS HAVE DIVIDED LOYALTIES. Sorry for the all caps, but I see that BS in plenty of places, although not much here, granted. It’s that anyone who has spent a great deal of time, much less growing up in a nation may have a great fondness, memories, and sympathy for that nation even if they no longer reside there, especially so if they left under pleasant (and even for some who left with far less than pleasant) circumstances. Moreso if they have friends and family who remain.

Sorry, for the all caps, but wanted to be extra clear on that point.

3

It’s complicated. I love Canada, but not Quebec. Latest was some Quebec minister saying he gets angry every time he walks down the streets of Montreal and hears someone speaking English. I am also annoyed that the previous Conservative party government chose a creationist as Minister of Science and that party is likely (virtually certain) to be the next government.

On the other hand the horror show to the south makes me glad I can stay here, although all my children and grandchildren live there.

Anyway, I seem to be equally attached to both countries.

Funny thing: although it is illegal to vote in two different states, it is apparently perfectly acceptable to vote in two different countries. Which I do. I have already requested ballots from IL.

4

This is my view more or less. I had dual US/UK citizenship for many years before giving up the US one. When I first moved to the UK I would be a bit defensive of American things that Brits would slag off. For example, I’d say that American cars are pretty good. That was until I got experience with European cars and realized that the guys on Top Gear were right about American cars being shite.

After being in the UK for nearly 30 years now I feel more affiliated to the UK than the US. I supported Team GB in the Olympics and Paralympics. In international sports it’s nice to see the US do well, but it’s England I want to see win.

5

Spanish - German dual nationality, could hardly feel less patriotic. I want Spain to win in football (soccer) in World and European Chamionships, but all other sports are meh to me (tennis, basketball, formula one, cycling, olympics, whatever) or I want them to lose.
And I always want Germany to lose in football, but I like Borussia Dortmund and Borussia Mönchengladbach. Some friends of mine get happy when they win and I am glad for them when it happens. Except when they play against Barça, of course.
I have quite negative feelings towards nationalism in general, equally negative for Germany and for Spain. A little less so for Catalonia, but only a tiny little. And I like Berlin, where I live, despite the Berliners, the horrible football club (Hertha BSC - ugh! And the fans, Hertha Frösche, that is: Hertha Frogs… oh dear! You can’t use the U-Bahn when they are close), the corruption, the mediocre food and so on.

6

I have at least two citizenships, Canadian and Czech. I likely have a third citizenship - Serbian, though I am not 100% sure.

I feel a measure of patriotism towards both Canada and the Czech Republic (or Czechia, to use its lesser-known short-form name). The former received my family kindly and prevented it from experiencing the horrible wars that the former Jugoslavia was plunged into in the 1990s, and is where I grew up and where my character was formed. The latter gave me opportunities as an adult and is where I ended up making my home and where the vast majority of my friends are (I was naturalized a Czech citizen in 2018). I am happy when either the Canadian or the Czech national hockey team wins the world championships or in the Olympics (OTOH, regarding the NHL, the moment the last Canadian team is out of the running for the Stanley Cup, I lose ALL interest for what happens next). These are two nations where there is, fortunately, absolutely nothing that could be considered conflicting between them.

Regarding the possible third citizenship, I am basically neutral. I acknowledge my Serbian ethnicity and possible theoretic citizenship, can speak Serbian (nowadays with some ingession of Czech grammar and idiom), know about my heritage, and there is always the theoretical possibility to do more with that part of my identity. But I can hardly call myself patriotic toward a place that I did grow up in, that I do not visit and that has no effect on my everyday life. I see it as primarily my ethnicity.

7

I’m an Israeli who lives in Israel and who also holds a US passport. I love America, like, as a friend, but it’s not my country and I don’t vote in its elections. I can’t be loyal to two countries, after all, and I believe it would be dishonest to vote for a country you’re not loyal to. Besides, there are enough people in the world who can’t vote at all - voting twice seems unfair.

(And before you say anything, the last place I was registered was New York, so it doesn’t make much of a difference anyway).

I am admittedly pretty much immersed in American culture, though.

8

Dual - American/Canadian - citizenship and technically also Brazilian: birth, and German; parents citizenship.
Canada is the only country I live in by choice. USA was where I was brought up and spent the majority of my life.

I don’t have any sense of patriotism for any of those countries except maybe on a sports level. Except I don’t actually care about any sports so it’s a bit vague.

I am one of those that thinks patriotism is an unhealthy sentiment and paves the way for all sorts of nastiness. I suspect some of that came from my German (WW2) era parents.

I am pleased though that I can vote in both US and Canadian elections. US because what happens there has an unfortunately large impact on the rest of the world and Canada because that impacts me directly.

9

Technically I have citizenship of both the USA and Pakistan, because I have never renounced my Pakistani citizenship legally. It’s a difficult process and the only reason I’d need to is to travel to India, which I have no intention of doing.

The fact that I have visited dozens of countries in the 35+ years since I left Pakistan and never ever considered visiting there, should tell you all you need to know about how patriotic I feel about my country of birth. They didn’t want me (a non-Muslim impurity in the Land of the Pure) and it was pretty clear growing up there.

Except for sports. There I’m forever :pakistan:. Or I thought I was. When the USA knocked over Pakistan in possibly the biggest upset in international cricket history, I was pretty chuffed.

So even for me, it’s a little complicated.

10

Dual UK (born)/New Zealand (immigrated) here. In terms of time lived in each country it’s a pretty even 50/50%.

Post-move to NZ but pre-Brexit, I took more of an interest in the UK for some sports and news. But since then, I definitely have noticed myself feeling a lot less pride for ‘old Blighty’ relative to NZ.

If the All Blacks play the Lions, I support the All Blacks. Same with the America’s Cup.

There’s nostalgia for my childhood, but not really pride for the country. Whereas NZ does have a ‘punch above its weight’ vibe that I greatly admire.

11

Dual Australia / New Zealand with NZ being the primary one.

I feel a little bit patriotic about Australia but not in the same way I do about NZ. NZ doing well in something is like having my own kids win awards. Australia doing well is like my friend’s kids winning awards.

12

Dual US / Canada, born & educated in US, married to a Briton, live & work in Canada.

I don’t really get patriotism. I am mostly happy with Canada and want to help improve it. I used to feel that way about the US but I kind of despair that real improvement is possible. I have strong cultural connections to both countries and family in both.

I feel about the same towards Canada as I do towards California: kind of fond of it and pleased to be associated with it. The US as a whole is just a bit too big and diverse to have feelings about, for me. I wish it well and vote accordingly, but that’s all.

13

UK, South Africa and Zimbabwean.

It gets a little complicated after that.

The UK doesn’t care. The Zimbabweans do care, dual nationality is not legal, but what they don’t know won’t harm them. The South Africans sort of care, I had to provide a copy of a letter that I “sent” to the British embassy disclaiming my birthright. The British will not revoke my citizenship even if my only contribution to the land of hope and glory was around £300 in unclaimed tax refunds, back in the early 2000s.

I consider myself Zimbabwean, even though those ungrateful sods in the government do not. I live in SA, travel on my UK passport, and keep my Zim citizenship alive - that is where I want to retire.

14

Tsk. What about Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland then :)?

15

My nieces are dual British/Swiss, and they’ve grown up in the UK, Germany, Mexico and the US. I’ve heard them talk with pride about being ‘European’, possibly because they now live in the US and it gives them a sense of identity. I don’t get the sense they feel particularly invested in the UK or Switzerland and don’t see them ever moving back to either. They gravitated towards European friends at their American universities and saw that as a unifying factor, but those European friends were from all over (eg Poland, Spain). So they feel a cultural affinity with Europe rather than a specific country.

16

Dual UK/US citizen since 2019 ( also an Argentine resident)
I left England to Scotland in 1995 then left the UK and worked around the world in 2000 and ended up in the US in 2009.
Culturally and politically I really don’t care much what happens in the UK but I certainly have opinions more than about any other countries ( except the US) . On issues of foreign affairs I’ll likely take a pro US stance which is often a pro UK stance, barring the usual stupidity of governments.

For the US I am certainly very engaged and concerned over political matters and foreign affairs, Argentina politics, well that’s a dumpster fire and I just eat popcorn and listen to my Father in Law rant.

Sports wise I’ll always root for England in the Rugby , except when they play Argentina I’d probably support the US over England in rugby as well. Other sports I’ll generally support the US, have mild support for England ( or GB when that applies) and slightly more enthusiastic support for Argentina.

I could not have cared less when the queen died or any of the royal family nonsense (the concept of a royal family pisses me off)

When asked what nationality I am I say American
Given my very obvious southern England home counties accent, when given a quizzical look I follow up with “it was my Boston accent that gave it away right? “

I don’t intend to ever move back to the UK , and although it is possible to give up UK citizenship I haven’t really bothered. The main concern was domicile status for inheritance tax purposes as my wife is not a UK citizen so there would have been many complications if I had died. Now I have been out of the UK for a while that shouldn’t be an issue anymore.