Cynthia Hauser is a talented writer with a strong interest in legal matters, particularly in the area of family law. She has written a number of articles pertaining to this very issue. Her book, A Divorce Is For Life: How Changing Race and Nationality Affects Family Law, was released in 2021. While it contains some interesting information about how changing one’s race or nationality can affect one’s life in a positive or negative way, it does not really dig much into the practical application of what she has written. That said, there are enough interesting advice and helpful suggestions within the pages of her book that anyone who considers changing their race or nationality should definitely check it out.
Hauser begins her discussion of nationality and race with an account of her own family’s history of “paper citizenship”. Although her parents were both American citizens by birth, they eventually took up citizenship of Mexico due to their long and loving association with the Mexican people, and while still a minor they were given the opportunity to become naturalized citizens of that country to achieve their eighteenth birthday. Because of her background and the personal experiences she had as a young woman growing up in San Antonio, Texas during the 1950s, Hauser has a wealth of first-hand knowledge about the workings of the legal profession, as well as the experience necessary to enable her to effectively offer sound legal advice to those who are choosing a different path in their lives. As an attorney, she has dealt with issues of nationality, race, and class from an early age, and she shares this personal experience in her writing, providing valuable insights into what some individuals face on a daily basis when trying to choose an alternative path in life.
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of A Divorce Is for Life is the practical recommendations that Hauser provides to those considering a change of race or nationality, or simply pursuing a legal profession in a foreign country. Specifically, Hauser looks at what duties, rights, privileges, and immunities of each race or nationality may have, and she also looks at how these considerations might impact an individual’s decision to relocate. In addition, she looks at the legal obligations of an international spouse must meet, and how these might vary from that of an opposite-sex spouse who has wed a local partner.