Expat Magazine

My Anchor Babies

By Expatmum @tonihargis
So much going on at the moment! The Punk Rocker, who should probably now be called College Boy, since a) he no longer has a Mohawk and b) he's starting college next week, is about to move out. Initially he said it was in a couple of weeks, which I had always questioned since that date was actually after their massive freshers' rally. Surely they would allow students to move in before starting all the partying? It turns out, yet again, there was a mix-up and the Residences Office still has no idea why he was told that day when it fact it should be next week. Thank goodness for Facebook, where he is already chatting to his room mates, and they just happened to mention a different move in date from his.
All I have to do now is get him to figure out what he wants to take. He's staying in Chicago (less than two miles from us) so there's not a lot of risk here. He can always "pop" home to get whatever he's forgotten, but I do hope he doesn't leave it till the morning of, to throw a few bits and pieces into a bin bag. Obviously it will be weird not having him loping around the house, but I can't say I'll miss tripping over those size 14 Converse shoes!
And - drum roll - I've finally ditched the whole Queenager moniker. I have two options though. Let me give you some background.
The Republican party candidates (sorry to bring them up again but they're all over the TV) are now banging on about immigrants; in particular their "anchor babies". The law here is that anyone born in this country is automatically a US citizen no matter what their parents are. (That wold include my three children, by the way, who were all  born before I was a citizen.) Trump and Bush in particular, are banging on about "anchor babies" and how people are coming here specifically to give birth and then get all the benefits that go with - um, being the parent of a citizen. (Let's just overlook the fact that they both have foreign born wives, for the moment.) Unfortunately, no one is pointing out that having Americans children doesn't actually confer citizenship on you. Just ask me. It didn't make a bit of difference that I had three American children. My eligibility was not based on that, and indeed, some parents are actually deported notwithstanding their children here. It's so annoying that this whole storm in a teacup is premised on misinformation. However, in the spirit of things, I might call the ex Queenager, Anchor Number one.
The other alternative is to call her Blog Fodder baby since a text she recently sent to me is now front and center in my latest Wall Street Journal post! Tee hee.
What to do, what to do.

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