> The last time I was brusquely asked if I was a natural born citizen or had been naturalized at some point.
If you're naturalised, my understanding is that you have all the rights of a person originally born in the country, with everything that implies. Is there even a point of asking this question other than aggressiveness?
Not quite all the same rights and privileges. If you are entering the USA for the purpose of working as POTUS, They have grounds to refuse you as ineligible ;-)
Well, presumably he does have the right to become POTUS if he was born in the same hospital as John McCain seeing as John McCain was a presidential candidate and thus his eligibility was already predetermined.
As I understand naturalization it is a pointless question. Whether I was naturalized at birth or at a later date is entirely irrelevant. In case anyone is wondering, I'm white and a native speaker of English who doesn't speak any other language.
The question is not simply pointless and irrelevant, it is potentially illegal. Border agent may be giving you grounds to claim discrimination on the basis of national origin, which is illegal (similar to asking applicant's age on a job interview).
But it only works this way if you're a US citizen. With any other status border agents can do and ask pretty much whatever they feel like.
If you're naturalised, my understanding is that you have all the rights of a person originally born in the country, with everything that implies. Is there even a point of asking this question other than aggressiveness?