What is the citizenship status of a child born in Mexico in 1918 to an unwed alien mother with a U.S. citizen father?

• A. USC since the father was a citizen
• B. Alien as the mother was not a citizen
• C. USC due to legitimation via marriage
• D. Alien since born out of wedlock

Answer: (A)

The child born in Mexico in 1918 to an unwed alien mother and a U.S. citizen father is a U.S. citizen because citizenship can be transmitted from a parent who is a U.S. citizen, provided certain conditions are met.

Under the laws in effect at that time, a child born outside the United States to a U.S. citizen father may acquire citizenship at birth if the father had fulfilled specific residency requirements, which were different based on the date of the child's birth. Since the father in this scenario is a U.S. citizen, his citizenship is key to the child's status.

In cases where the parents are not married, the father's acknowledgment of paternity and his citizenship permits the child to secure citizenship rights. Importantly, this does not hinge on the mother's citizenship status, as the father's citizenship takes precedence.

Therefore, the correct answer reflects the principle of parental transmission of citizenship, emphasizing that the child's citizenship derives from the father's U.S. citizenship rather than the mother's alien status or the marital status of the parents at the time of the child's birth.