July 1, 1943: American Girl

Letter from Opa to INS

Transcription:

1011 Moro Street

Manhattan, Kansas

July 1, 1943

St. 16645

U.S. Immigration and 

Naturalization Service

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Gentlemen:

I shall be grateful if you will supply me with information regarding the law and procedure concerning marriage between aliens and American citizens. 

I am in this country on a student visa and am considering marriage to an American girl. The points I am especially concerned about are the following:

(1) Would my future wife retain her American citizenship? (2) What would the citizenship of our children be? (3) How would such a marriage affect my status, if any?

Any advice and information you can give me will be greatly appreciated.

Very truly yours,

Thomas W. Doeppner

Guys, guys. Opa is thinking about marriage already! Also- we ALL know that the only question he is really asking is that third question and that the other two are just fillers to make it not look like he is trying to get citizenship by marrying an American. No one is fooled. I mean, he really does love my Grandmother- we know that, but no matter what, the INS doesn't care. Or do they? But this certainly isn't convincing, and honestly, how would you prove otherwise?

This has always been a little bit of a curiosity for me- was there a seed of doubt by my Grandmother that Opa wanted to marry her for citizenship? I never thought that Opa had that as a goal, or that their marriage gave him his citizenship, but honestly I don't know for sure if it did or not. We'll find out!

Either way, this is the precious line I love: "I am....considering marriage to an American girl."