Coming to America: Birth Tourism in the US

Coming to America, a hilarious 1988 Eddie Murphy comedy film, with absolutely nothing to do with this article.

“… Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore,

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,”

These words are inscribed on the Statue of Liberty and were written by Emma Lazarus in her poem “The New Colossus” in 1883. They sum up the beacon of hope that America once represented to the outside world. People of all creeds, classes and countries came here to find freedom, a better life and opportunity for their children. For the first 150 years of our country, this was our immigration policy: come one, come all and come together. Unfortunately, it seems that now, we have a new immigration policy: send us your rich, your privileged and those who can afford a tourist visa.

In the last decade the debate over immigration in the United States has focused wholly on Mexico. The question seems to be, not who to let in, but how high to build the wall. While we have argued over how best to keep out these immigrants, which I think we can correctly describe as tired, poor and yearning to breathe free, it seems we have been letting the world’s upper classes have a free pass into citizenship through something called “birth tourism.”

Birth tourism, highlighted in this weekend’s English version of the Hurriyet Daily News and Economic Review, is the process through which citizens of other countries travel to the United States and sometimes Canada to give birth, thus granting their child citizenship to that country. It should be no surprise to Americans that foreigners want to obtain citizenship for their children. What is surprising, though, is that this is not a black market activity, but a burgeoning cottage industry across the globe. According to this weekend’s article, 12,000 Turks have been born in the United States through birth tourism since 2003. The number is certainly higher in many East Asian countries where this is more common, such as South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore. The companies quoted in this weekends Hurriyet provide packages complete with airfare, hotel accommodations, standard tourist activities and of course, medical costs. Depending on the city in which you want to give birth, the minimum cost is between $25,000 and $40,000. And this high cost is the main obstacle to purchasing a birth tourism package, and so it would seem, to American citizenship. As Kim Jeong Yeon, the expectant Korean mother in the 2002 LA Times piece said, “If they could afford it, all my friends would go to the United States to have their babies.”

The law that allows people to become citizens through birth on our soil is written into our Constitution, in the 14^th Amendment. Passed in 1868, it was intended to end abuses against former slaves following the Civil War and in no way could have predicted the ease of international travel 140 years into the future. So, while this practice may be controversial and possibly morally questionable, it is also perfectly legal.

Despite the proliferation of this practice around the world, it is something Americans seem largely unaware of. A search of some of our nations most trusted news sources brings up only a few pieces. One from the LA Times in 2002 entitled “Korean moms want ‘Born in USA’ babies,” and another in Slate Magazine from June 2009 called “Why I Left Pakistan to Give Birth in US.”

The reasons people turn to birth tourism are no different than the reasons an expecting Mexican mother might cross the border. One of the main reasons is a better education. For a poor migrant worker, it may be that their child gets any education at all, while for a wealthy Korean or Turk, it is the ease to which university studies in the US can be obtained. Another reason is job opportunities. Again, for the Mexican mother, it may be an opportunity for her child to get any work at all, for the South East Asian, an easier time being hired by large American companies after a professional education. One reason though, may be different. The Korean mother, Kim Jeong Yeon, wanted to give her son the gift of avoiding the compulsory military service required of all South Korean men.

If the reasons for giving birth in America are similar, what then separates a potential illegal alien being turned away by border patrol and a tourist coming from abroad, both wanting to give birth? Well, it seems, only the ability to purchase a tourist visa and a plane ticket. This seems an extremely poor test of citizenship for the country that once declared “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to be free.”

How to Hibernate: Yemek Sepeti

After spending the last four years living in sunny Southern California, I apparently forgot that winter is still a season. All the global warming talks had convinced me that winter only existed in the mountains now. The last few weeks here in Istanbul have crushed that notion with the weight of endless winds, rains and cold. The last five days or so have been especially difficult. The temperature has hovered around zero degrees Celsius, and clouds have dropped an ever-changing mixture of rain and snow turning the streets into slushy rivers.

When the rain and snow subsides for a few hours, the chill holds the charm and romance of winter in a big city. However, when the water is falling it can be miserable. There are just too many things that require your attention. You must be conscious of stepping into one of the temporary lakes in the streets and sidewalks that could drench you up to the shin. If you are not stepping into the deep puddles, beware of a taxi driving through them. One taxi-induced tidal wave and you will be soaked head to toe for the rest of the day. While you keep your mind alert for these dangers, you must also be conscious of the airspace above you. Many times I’ve had my temple stabbed by short men who are reckless with their umbrella. If you manage to get to your destination in an uninjured and relatively dry state, watch your feet. The polished marble and stone floors and staircases in many businesses and buildings have sent more than a few unsuspecting and rushing patrons slipping to their seat. Actually, with all this to be aware of, it may just be better to stay inside.

Of course, its not possible to stay inside all day. There is work to be done, errands to run and cabin-fever not to catch. But, that doesn’t mean you can’t minimize the times you bundle up and rush out the door. There is at least one way that Tay and I have discovered to keep yourself warm and dry: have your food delivered. And here in Istanbul it couldn’t be easier. Yemek Sepeti, it means “food basket” in Turkish, is a centralized delivery system for hundreds of restaurants across the city. You simply log onto yemeksepeti.com, choose your language (Turkish or English) and choose city (they serve about a dozen Turkish cities) and your neighborhood. From there you can search by type of food, restaurant name, price and place an order online. They will give you a call to confirm and in 30 to 60 minutes, you’ll be eating. The best part though, is you can pay on delivery in cash. Also, most restaurants do not charge a delivery free and many have exceptional discounts and deals you can only get through the Web site. Sometimes, it’s even cheaper to sit on your butt and let the food come to you.

I am not an advocate of the hermit lifestyle. However, there are times when you just don’t want to get groceries to cook, or go out in the rain for a meal. When this strikes you, yemeksepeti.com keeps you warm, dry and worry-free.

Now that we’ve left America, let’s go to the mall!

This post is dedicated to my younger brother Jason, lover of both public transportation and malls, but mostly a lover of taking public transportation to the mall.

Cehavir Mall from the street.

Today, Taylor and I went to a teacher’s meeting at our English Time branch in Mecidiyekoy. Usually, I think we will be taking the subway to get there, but this morning we walked it. As we walked and approached our branch, we noticed something large and all to familiar outside the normal metro tunnel entrance in Mecidiyekoy — a mall.

Part of the reason I decided to travel was to escape the materialism all too common in America. Funny then, that within three days of being in Istanbul I found myself in the largest shopping center in Europe, and one of the largest in the world, just outside of my new office. It is the Istanbul Cehavir Mall.

I dedicated this post to my younger brother, Jason, because one of his favorite pastimes has always been going to the mall. He loves to ride the escalators and elevators, check out the Seattle Mariners Store and whenever possible, he finds it more fun to take the bus to get there. Jason, you would be in heaven. This mall has its own metro terminal exit. Meaning, you can walk off the train and into the mall in seconds without so much as touching the street or sidewalk.

It is also six stories tall with 343 stores and is an incredible 4.5 million square feet. For those in Washington, that is over 3 times the size of Bellevue Square (1.3 million ft.^2). For those in California, that is nearly twice the size of South Coast Plaza (2.5 million ft.^2). I don’t know how many elevators and escalators that adds up to, but again, Jason, you could ride ‘em all day. Like the Mall of America, this mall has a roller coaster. But this mall is so massive that it took us 45 minutes of wandering to find the roller coaster. It is also home to the world’s largest clock, located on the glass ceiling and facing directly down at the patrons with the wrong time. Today, at least.

Coming to Istanbul, Taylor had been telling me that the Turks were generally a fashionable people, who did in fact care about labels and designers, the stuff I have no clue about. I had no idea until I entered Cevahir how true that was. Every major label and brand you would find in the states could be picked up right there. Some patrons walked by in the latest European trendy style, others in full burkas. It was an incredible collection of people and stores and one that I did not expect to stumble upon in Istanbul.

Will I be hanging out at the mall now? Almost certainly not. But, it did give me a look at a different side of Turkish culture, or at least Istanbul culture. To those back in the states who have a picture of a backwards, Islamic Turkey, this scene would be an eye opener. After all, I believe that people have a lot more in common than they choose to see and that recognizing this is key to better cooperation between people and countries — even if it has to start with shopping.

One of many children's rides runs through the bottom floor of Cevahir Mall.

Even the world's largest clock is right twice a day.

iPod for iStanbul

This weekend will be my last in Seattle. For a year, at least. On Tuesday I will fly to Orange County to rendezvous with Taylor, and we will be on our way to Istanbul on September 1.

For now, that means as the excitement builds, so does my pile of stuff to pack.  And as I piece my suitcase contents together like a jigsaw puzzle, I need a bit of inspiration. Lately, I’ve found this coming from my laptop and my iPod. What I have tried to do is assemble an audio-library of relevant Turkish info the same way I have with books over on “The Reading List.”

If you are planning on coming to Istanbul there are a few bits of ear candy you may want to hear.

The first place to check is with the travel guru, Rick Steves. In addition to writing European guidebooks aimed at affordable travel for Americans and hosting a very informative web site, he also puts out the occasional podcast on iTunes, available for free. I went ahead and downloaded every one that had Turkey or Istanbul in the title.

In the few that I have listened to so far, Steves has quelled any anxiety with his enthusiasm and information. In each, he invites  two of his Turkish friends, who happen to be tour guides in Istanbul on his program to lend a local voice.

In one podcast, they discuss current hot topics such as the debate surrounding Armenian killings during WWI, Turkey’s hopes for ascension into the European Union and the radical disparity in lifestyle and modernization between Turkish cities and countryside.

Other episodes deal with issues of travel, religion and culture. The dynamics between Steves, who though well-traveled can still see through the American paradigm, and the two local Turks is exactly what I needed before leaving. They answer questions I’ve long held but been unable to answer online as well as filling in information gaps that I didn’t know I even had, making the voice of Steves and his two Turkish friends an indispensable and completely free resource.

Rick Steves podcasts can be found on iTunes, and now, on my iPod.