Albert Einstein, the famous German physicist, filed a declaration of intention to become an American citizen in 1936, and the document is still preserved. Apart from Einstein’s names, the form contains several people, including Einstein’s wife, children, and the clerk of the U.S. District Court, George T. Cranmer. Similarly, numerous dates are recorded, such as when Einstein was born, married, entered New York, sworn in, and when his two children were born. Other than the period of his birth, the most significant dates are June 3, 1935, when Einstein entered New York, and January 15, 1936. These moments are crucial for the completion of the naturalization process (U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, 1940). Various locations are also mentioned, including the State of New Jersey, where Einstein took his oath. Bermuda, a territory of Great Britain, is indicated in the document as the last foreign place where Einstein resided before emigrating to the U.S.
The main idea of the document is the administration of oath for Einstein’s naturalization. It all provides the actual information about Einstein ranging from his background to his recent place of residence. Ideally, the document was explicitly created for Einstein’s declaration of intention to be an American citizen. Einstein had to fulfill the constitutional requirements of filling such a form and swearing before the clerk of the U.S. district court where he was living at that time.
The Declaration of Intention for Albert Einstein documents connects with Article I, sections 8-10 of the U.S. Constitution. Specifically, the provisions of the form directly relate to the Naturalization Clause of the U.S. Constitution, which is found in Article 1, Section 8, Clause 4. The instructions under this part of American laws require that Congress create uniform procedures for naturalization (Harrington, 2018). Therefore, it means that what Einstein did was to follow the stipulations of the U.S constitution laid down by Congress regarding the process of becoming an American citizen. Therefore, the document is a fulfillment of the constitutional requirement for all foreigners intending to obtain citizenship in the U.S.
Understandably, the big idea of the constitution contained in the document is the naturalization process. As already explained, the document is a reflection of the requirements as per the U.S. Constitution, Article 1, Section 8, Clause 4. The provision of this part of the law mandates Congress to formulate a uniform procedure of naturalization (Harrington, 2018). Therefore, the document filed by Einstein is a duplication of what every other immigrant intending to obtain citizenship must comply with before taking the oath. Additionally, the law requires the applicant to fill the document with all the necessary details sincerely.
In short, this document is still significant even today and should be preserved to guide future actions concerning naturalization. Although the U.S. is now engaged in fighting challenges of immigration, naturalization is still a desirable process since some foreigners deserve citizenship based on their character and value to the nation. Without such a document, bias and discrimination can occur where some applicants are subjected to the rigorous procedure while others quickly obtain citizenship. Therefore, the significance of the document seems to be infinite as immigrants would always seek citizenship even in the generations to come.
References
Harrington, B. (2018). The Citizenship Clause and “Birthright Citizenship”: A Brief Legal Overview. Congressional Research Services. Web.
U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey. (1940). Declaration of Intention for Albert Einstein. Records of District Courts of the United States.