Please help American Citizens Abroad in their critical mission to advocate for Americans overseas.
All posts tagged american citizens abroad
Overseas Americans Week
Overseas Americans Week (“OAW”) kicks off today. OAW is an annual program now in its eighth year that embodies the commitment of overseas Americans organizations to maintaining an ongoing dialogue with Congress and agencies on policy issues that directly affect the lives of US citizens abroad. There is a lot on the agenda, so please contact your members of Congress and ask them to engage.
The participating organizations:
AARO: Association of Americans Resident Overseas, founded 1973, based in Paris
ACA: American Citizens Abroad, founded 1978, based in Geneva
FAWCO: Federation of American Women’s Clubs Overseas Inc., founded 1931, worldwide network
For more information on Overseas Americans Week 2009, contact:
AARO: contact@aaro.org
ACA: info.aca@gmail.com
FAWCO: USLiaison@fawco.org
Push for D.C. Vote in Congress
The Washington Post reports that the prospect of a voting member of the House of Representatives for Washington, DC is looking good given the composition of the new Congress and President-elect Obama’s past support of the measure — indeed he co-sponsored similar legislation last Congress.
This is good news for all Americans and especially for those of us abroad. It would repair a great and historic inequality for the people of the District of Columbia and further cement the concept of now taxation without representation in the bedrock of American democracy.
Optimistic Push for D.C. Vote In House – washingtonpost.com
American Citizens Abroad Gives 2008 Benjamin Franklin Award to Representatives Maloney and Wilson
Last month, American Citizens Abroad (ACA) awarded its Benjamin Franklin Award to Representatives Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) and Joe Wilson (R-SC).
The award honors Representatives Maloney and Wilson for co-founding and co-chairing the Americans Abroad Caucus. According to ACA’s press release:
The Benjamin Franklin Award was created by ACA to recognize members of Congress for their extraordinary contribution on behalf of overseas Americans and has been given only once before in the early 1980s to Representatives Bill Alexander (D-AR) and Bob McClory (R-IL).
ACA believes that Representatives Maloney and Wilson, in founding the Americans Abroad Caucus, have manifested their recognition of the important role played by overseas Americans as unofficial diplomats representing the interests of the United States abroad as well as their support for the particular issues which concern American citizens living overseas. All Americans abroad see the Americans Abroad Caucus as a major step forward in obtaining a voice in Washington and place high hopes in the Caucus.
The Americans Abroad Caucus was launched during Overseas Americans Week in Washington D.C., in April 2007. The bipartisan caucus now includes 24 members of Congress. (6 Republicans and 18 Democrats).
So Far and Yet So Near
In 2005, American Citizens Abroad (ACA) published So Far and Yet So Near – Stories of Americans Abroad, a collection of stories by Americas describing their experiences abroad. The book is a compilation of forty-seven stories by Americans who have lived abroad. In my reading of the book, I could relate to many of the stories, and I found they all held interesting and thought-provoking perspectives both on the experience of being an American abroad and on America itself.
The book is a great gift for friends and family. And address questions and issues such as:
- What it’s like to live abroad on a long-term basis?
- The joys and difficulties of integrating into local culture, and whether you even need to.
- What happens to your sense of national identity?
- Impact on family life and friendships back home.
If you want to learn more about Americans abroad — our unofficial ambassadors to the world — the book is available here, and if you buy it through ACA’s site (via links to Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk), you’ll be helping to fund the important work that ACA does for all Americans abroad.
