US Primary Elections

The election for the president of the United States occurs on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November.  In 2012 this date will fall on November 6th. On that day the two main political parties will have their candidate’s name written on the ballot.

But how does each party choose the candidate it wants to back up for president? That’s where primary elections (or as they are better known, primaries) come into play. Primaries are elections in which party members or voters select prospective presidential candidates from a set of contestants. Primary elections are one way by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election.

Outside the US, primaries are not that common mainly because in other countries the selection of the leader is the responsibility of the political party itself and does not involve the general public. One exception close to Malta took place when Italy, in 2009, the Italian Democratic Party opted for primaries to select the party’s Secretary. In this election 17-year olds were allowed to vote.

Back to the USA, the Democratic Party will not hold primaries this election because President Obama is not being contested. During the early stages of the campaign there were rumors that the Secretary of State Hilary Clinton would attempt another go at the presidency but she has declared that she did not intend to run. Even though the Democrats’ presidential candidate is not being contested, the Democratic National Convention to be held in North Carolina still has to confirm President Obama.

On the Republican ticket the contestants still in the run are Fred S. Karger, Gary Johnson, Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul, Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum, Michele Bachmann, Buddy Roemer and Rick Perry. On January 3rd, Iowa will kick off the primaries. As the months roll by, the prospective candidates will gain delegates who will vote for them in the 2012 Republican National Convention that will be held in August 2012. As the weeks pass, candidates who feel they do not have a chance will pull out of the race and will transfer any of the delegates they would have won to someone still in the running. At the end of it all, one candidate will take the party to the polls.

Election Count Down

The clock is ticking. In less than a year the United States (and the rest of the world) will know if President Obama will lead the United States for the following 4 years or whether he will be sitting on the side on January 20, 2013, as the Republican nominee takes the oath to faithfully serve his or her country.

The time between when the polling booths shut down and when the official results are published will depend pretty much on how close the two candidates stand and whether there are States in which a few hundred votes can tip the balance and the outcome of the election either one way or the other.  Everyone hopes that this time around the electoral officers do not end up having to manually decide if each pregnant punched card is valid or not.

Yet the scenario described about is a possible reality. The first reason why this is more likely to happen is because today it is becoming increasingly more difficult to not get involved in the electoral process. Switch on the TV, read a newspaper, listen to a radio station or surf the internet and election related content envelopes you. Prospective candidates will be spending more than $1 billion to promote themselves to the voting public. And $1 billion, even in today’s watered down economy, still buys you a heck of a lot of attention.

The second reason why the difference between the winner and the loser are becoming slimmer lies in how difficult it is becoming for voters to pick the better candidate. For starters political extremes no longer exists and irrespective of whether one chooses a Democrat or a Republican, the expected real difference between one and the other are subtle. Secondly, each campaign has mastered the art of promoting their candidate as being the perfect choice while demonizing the other side. Many a time voters will clinch on a issue that they feel is important to them and cast their vote accordingly.

Citizenship for children of Maltese citizens

As we stated a few months ago we started investigating what is necessary to gain US citizenship for your children. Our research focused on children under the age of 18.  In order to qualify the following conditions must be met:

• At least one parent is a U.S. citizen or, if deceased, the parent was a U.S. citizen at the time of death.
• The U.S. citizen parent or his or her U.S. citizen parent has (or at the time of death had) been physically present in the United States or its outlying possessions for at least 5 years, at least two of which were after attaining the age of 14.
• The child is under the age of 18 years.
• The child is residing outside of the United States in the legal and physical custody of the U.S. citizen parent (or, if the citizen parent is deceased, an individual who does not object to the application).
• The child is temporarily present in the United States after having entered lawfully and is maintaining lawful status in the United States.
• An adopted child may be eligible for naturalization under section 322 of the INA if the child satisfies the requirements applicable to adopted children under sections 101(b)(1)(E), (F) or (G) of the INA.

If any member satisfies these criteria and you would like to start the process of applying for citizenship for your children contact us.

Email to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

Dear Sir,

My name is Alan Bonnici and I am President of Stars And Stripes Malta, an organisation that represents and helps Americans living in Malta. We are considerably distraught at cost cutting exercises directed at those US citizens who cost our nation the least; we pay taxes to the United States yet are not entitled to many of the benefits available to those living within the United States. While our decision to reside in a country other than the United States is our fundamental right, I can assure you that many would rather be standing on US soil and be part of the US way of life but are prevent from doing so because of economic, social and personal reasons.

Before, whenever one of our members decided to return back home s/he has an easily accessible place to do so. If certain paperwork was missing and a question was not clearly understood the local consular office was there to help. The process was short and efficient. Now a person has to deal with someone sitting on the other side of the globe, in a different time zone and with no idea about the conditions that prevail in the country the application is being raised from.

There are many issues that might cause a citizen to want to relocate back to the United States with his/her family. Termination of employment, health and civil unrest are three that come to mind. Can you imagine the hardship and risk to life and limb such delays may result in? I see this as being a step in the wrong direction and any perceived savings are nothing but perceived. In fact I personally believe that in the short run, these changes will end up costing the tax payer much more because of logistical problems that stem from some of the points I have already noted in  my email.

I therefore ask you to please reverse  your decision. If there is anyone else my organisation can appeal to, please forward me their contact details so that we can put reverse this short-sighted and unjust decision.

Kind Regards,
Alan C. Bonnici
President
Stars And Stripes Malta
http://www.StarsAndStripesMalta.com 

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Notice to all Organisations that publish electronic periodicals aimed at Maltese communities living abroad

Following the survey held by Stars and Stripes Malta (SASM), we would like to inform all those persons and organisations who publish periodicals aimed at Maltese who live outside of Malta that they may avail themselves of the notification service being offered by SASM.

In order to qualify for this service, the publisher / editor should send an email to info@StarsAndStripesMalta.com with the following information:

• Name of Publication
• Publisher / Editor (The person or group behind the publication)
• Frequency (If the publication is not regular please specify ad-hoc)
• Content: Maltese / English / Both
• Format; HTML / PDF / Audio / Other (please specify)
• The web address where people can view past issues (specify N/A is this facility is not provided).
• One paragraph to summarise what the publication is all about, the target audience, and any other message you would like to include.

SASM is willing to make available to select publications archive storage facilities for past issues. This will allow visitors to view past issues. Anyone wishing to avail themselves of this service should apply by including their request in the email. Unless the publication is a new one, two past issues are to be attached to the email.

Join us for the 4th of July celebration party at Ta’ Kenuna - Gozo

More information about this event, including adult and children's menu can be found at http://www.starsandstripesmalta.com/News201106.html#ID20110610.

See you there!!!



The 2011 Stars And Stripes Malta Survey Results

The survey we mailed out to each and every member in March and April was an important occasion for SASM. Everyone who registers with us receives an email in which he or she is told that SASM is an organization by members for members. The survey asked you to voice your opinion on matters that we feel you should be involved in and response was very encouraging.

My first duty is to share with you the results of the 4 multiple choice compulsory questions and the optional comment listed as Question 5. The first 4 questions were of the multiple choice type while the 5^th was an open ended comment box into which one could write whatever they wanted. Besides giving out the results, I have taken the liberty of adding my own thoughts at the end of each result.

Question 1: Should the annual SASM dinner be moved to the summer months rather than be held in winter?

Yes –  85.3%, No – 14.7%

Many of you recall that in Malta, winter peaked last February, specifically on the day when we were going to hold our first annual get-together event. It was so windy that ferry service between the islands was suspended. To make matters worse, half the committee members were in bed with the flu. Summer is the time when we enjoy nice weather, calm seas, long hours of daylight and the flu viruses are normally dormant, probably they are planning how to make us sick the following winter. Besides, the 4^th of July take comes in summer and we can therefore combine SASM anniversary with this great day. Summer is also the time when our members who live abroad are more likely to visit their country of origin or country of their ancestors. This means that we stand a better chance of their meeting these people and getting to know them better.

Question 2: Would you attend SASM’s annual dinner if the event is held in:

Malta:  Yes – 41%, No – 22%, Don’t Know – 37%
Gozo: Yes – 41%, No – 15%, Don’t Know – 44%

The members of our association are split between Malta, Gozo and abroad. The result of this poll clearly indicates that almost half of SASM members will attend and event irrespective of which island the event is held on. Up to now all events organized by SASM have been located on the island of Gozo but, based on this information, we need to also include Malta in one of our annual meetings.

Question 3: Do you think SASM should include news items that originate from Maltese communities other than the USA?

Yes –  77.9%, No – 22.1%

Since March 2010 we have regularly included information about electronic publications by Maltese communities other than the USA. Up till now this has been unstructured and was never organized in a manner that ensures that you are consistently informed when a new issue comes out. Likewise, we normally did not carry news originating from communities outside the USA. Your input will change all of that. Over the next few weeks we will be implementing the necessary mechanisms to ensure that you remain up to date on all that is happening away from our shores.

Question 4: Should SASM’s statute be changed to officially include people of Maltese descent who do not live in the USA?

Yes –  30.9%, No – 69.1%

The majority of those who entered a voluntary comment under question 5 directed their comment at this point.

Question 5: Other comments / suggestions

The absolute majority of comments were directed to the fact that SASM is an organization with US roots and that this should remain status quo. More than one comment pointed out that Stars And Stripes refers to the US flag and not the flag of any other country.

Other comments complimented SASM’s committee for their hard work and dedication. We appreciate your kind comments.

If I could select a star comment it would be the following: “By knowing about activities taking place in Maltese communities outside the US, we can help our members to take up such initiatives if they are non-existent in the US-Maltese community. Furthermore, if such activities exist then they can liaison together to share knowledge or organize joint events.”  In my opinion it summarizes what SASM is all about.

Now it’s the committee’s time to act.

Your Comments on Dr Douglas Kmiec as Ambassador to Malta

We published the news of Ambassador Doug Kmiec's resignation at http://www.starsandstripesmalta.com/News201105.html#DK20110511. We received many comments from you on the matter and have decided to create a space where you can recall and recount your impression of this man during his stay in Malta. 

You can either post directly here or, if you prefer, email us on info@StarsAndStripesMalta.com. Those who email us should  specify that you would like your email to be to publish to our blog.

SASM Annual Report – 2010 / 2011

Stars and Stripes Malta is an organization that, over the past year, has worked hard to make a mark in the Maltese and US areas of play. Admittedly relations between the United States and Malta have always been positive. The recent decisions by the United States to take hundreds of refugees who reside in Malta demonstrates beyond any doubt that this great country is sometimes more of a friend than other counties geographically closer to us.

One of the tasks that SASM has been involved in since its inception is to try to help materialize project requested by its members. Over the past year we were involved in projects to trace people who lived a century ago or more for our members, projects relating to education, projects relating to citizenship of both Maltese who wanted to get their US citizenship or Americans who wanted to get their Maltese citizenship. We even got a request by a member to help trace down basketball players of Maltese descent who live abroad. Even though we do not have a 100% success rate, we are satisfied that many of the projects we embarked on ran to fruition.

Besides these projects, SASM has become a hub that distributes relevant news and information to its members. Whenever I meet an acquaintance on our mailing list they always comment positively about our regular mailings. Many like the short and concise format of the news and everyone I have spoken to seems to agree with the frequency of the mailings which is set to an average of one every two weeks.

The two countries from where the majority of our members originate are Malta and the USA—we are called Stars and Stripes after all. Having said that, we now also have a decent following from Australia. Recently we began to communicate electronic publications produced by Maltese and those of Maltese descent living over there.

SASM is an organization by members for members and we want like to keep it that way. For example, the survey we are conducting amongst all members will give us direction as to what we should do to better serve our current and future members. Even after the survey comes to an end and the results are tallied we will still want your input and direction as to how we can be more effective.

In my previous paragraph I mentioned the phrase “members for members”. These three words sum up the most important ingredient to the success of an organization like ours. It is thanks to those who can spare a couple of hours researching the Internet for a school in New York that may want to pair up with an equivalent school on in Malta; calling a relative to inquire about basketball players; or who encourage us and suggest ways we can improve, that we can become better.

I would like to conclude by thanking the other SASM committee members: Louis Vella, Joe Meilak, John Mizzi and Joyce Grech who work as a team to make most of what SASM is in reality. Every one of these persons, in their own special way and with their own special abilities and skills, constitutes SASM’s main driving force.

SASM 2011 Questionaire / Kwestjonarju 2011

Stars And Stripes Malta (SASM) is conducting a survey so that we can better serve you and direct our resources where they are most required. We started life with the goal of becoming the most effective US-Malta friendship not-for-profit organization.

When we set up SASM we listed 9 points in our statute as being our organizational goals (you can read about these in our “About Us” page on our web site). Following the Convention for Maltese living abroad, many people of Maltese descent who live in Australia, Canada and the UK registered with us. We started getting feedback from these people and suggestions that SASM should also carry their activities.

We would like your input to help us provide the best service to our members. On the next two pages, we have a very short questionnaire. These are very important to us.

This survey is open to everyone who has a say in the matter. To participate in the survey direct your browser to http://www.kwiksurveys.com/online-survey.php?surveyID=INDEGI_ac49bc98.

Tell your family and friends about SASM's survey.

Membership to SASM is free and open to anyone who has an interest in Malta-US-Malta events and relations.

The Journey of Gaining Maltese Citizenship

My name is Marc Sanko, I am a member of Stars and Stripes Malta and a third generation Maltese-American. Over the course of the past year I have worked with the organization in an attempt to claim my Maltese Citizenship. It has been filled with many ups and downs and great stories of along the way. These next few blogs will be the story of this journey and about my background and hopeful future.

The story starts in the 1920’s with my great-grandparents who moved from Malta to America, and unusually it was not because they were searching for higher paying jobs and the typical promises that awaited everyone in the United States. Instead it was for medical reasons. My grandmother, it turns out, as a child would get very sick from the sun in Malta and the doctors advised that they seek a milder climate. So it was off to America where my great grandfather immigrated to Detroit, Michigan and found employment at the Ford Assembly Plant. It was from this job that he was able to make enough money to build a home and send for the rest of his family to move to Detroit and rejoin him after a considerable time apart.

By the end of World War 2 most of my grandmothers and grandfathers families made the move to Detroit and joined the Maltese Community living in Detroit’s Corktown on the South side of the city. As the years wore on the families began drifting slowly apart, some had begun to move over the river into the Canadian city of Windsor and others gravitated towards the new and expanding suburbs of Detroit. That is where I come into the story; 22 years ago I was born in the suburbs of Detroit to a Maltese family.

At this point in time (late 1980’s) the Maltese community in the Metro-Detroit area had long lost its sense of closeness, no longer would you walk out your door and hear all your neighbors conversing in Maltese, rather it was a time where everyone was raised to speak English and be American. However in the mid to late-1990’s there seemed to be a revival among the older generation to share with us the roots of our family, the Maltese stories and many times even attempts to teach our generation the language. Unfortunately in my family the language didn’t stick very well as those who knew it and spoke it began to die off before any substantial teaching could be done. Needless to say it did inspire me.

All through grade school and even into my undergraduate studies in college I have been deeply interested in the history and lifestyle of the Maltese and myself and many of my cousins have done as much as we can to immerse ourselves in the Maltese culture. From learning to make pastizzi to more (failed) attempts at learning and conversing in Maltese, and it was at this point I personally began to want more of a true connection with my ancestral homeland. So I began to formulate a plan to study abroad in Malta or at least get my Graduate Degree at the University of Malta. I thought, ah ha! What an opportunity to also get my Maltese citizenship and all the advantages that would bring. It was about a year and a half ago that I finally contacted Stars and Stripes Malta to inquire about the process.

I have also found this book to be very insightful and full of pictures of Maltese in Detroit. Check it out, even if you just look at the pictures online!

http://www.amazon.com/Maltese-Detroit-Images-America-Andreassi/dp/0738583375

Next Blog – Uncovering my past to find my future, the process of gaining citizenship.