Ashley Puzemis is a Nationality, American by birth, who was born and raised in New York City. She is currently married to an American of Hispanic descent, Juan Carlos Vera, a U.S. Citizen who is thirty-one years her senior. Ashley has always maintained that she is a” patriotic American” and did not become an “immigrant” to live in Spain for the purpose of getting a new nationality issued by Spain’s Nationality Law. (The Nationality Law was changed in 1969 and specifically states that an immigrant must reside permanently in his or her country of nationality.)
However, there have been times when Ashley has had second thoughts about marrying a Spanish national despite her background. Recently, she has had second thoughts about her partnership with Juan Carlos after learning that he is an American citizen through his birth. Ashley now says that she regrets ever getting married to an American while keeping her Spanish nationality. According to Puzemis, she feels as though she is being “deprived of her right to be part of everything Spanish and American.”
In an interesting case study, this dual citizenship of an American by birth and Spanish nationality has led to the separation of their marriage. On one hand, Ashley Puzemis is an American by birth but an American by choice and on the other hand, she is a Spanish national by choice and an American by birth. So, what is the difference between these two? Puzemis states:” Ashley is a citizen of the United States, by choice, not by blood. I am an American by choice, just as every other person born here is an American by choice.”