All ye participants of the France/Côte d'Ivoire seminar:  O, listen to me!  You will not board the plane at Dulles International Airport in January if you arrive without a passport.   The purpose of this essay is to provide you with information on how to apply for that document and also to stimulate your thinking as you go through the process.
 
     The origin of the word is French:  porter is to carry and passer means to pass.  You must carry that $65 magic booklet with you; for it allows you to pass through a foreign country or spend a limited amount of time there.  Although used for centuries by people traveling in foreign countries, only recently has the passport been required universally for travel.

   Since 1856 the U.S. allows only the secretary of state (not local authorities)  to issue passports.   Foreign travelers could enter our country without passports until 1918.  The passport establishes identity and citizenship, permits travel and requests "lawful aid and protection."   Registration at one's embassy in another country makes it possible for the government to provide help in case of an emergency.

    Because it is difficult to gain entry into some countries, passports often become the target of thieves.  For example, an American passport allows its bearer to enter the U.S without a visa since he/she is "coming home."  You may assume that tourist visas are easily available, but that is often not the case.  Travelers from poorer countries are routinely denied visas for even short visits on the assumption that they may attempt to stay illegally.

    You probably did not choose your nationality.  Established when you were born, it has conferred valuable privileges and opened up many opportunities.  National identity has become so universal that we find it hard to imagine not identifying closely with a particular nation.  Imagine the feelings of a person born in 1865 in the Alsace area of eastern France where you will be staying in homes for three weeks.  Born French he would have become German at the age of 6, French again 53 (end of World War I), German at 75 (beginning of World War II) and finally French at the age of 80 (end of World War II).   How would you feel had your national identity changed four times within your lifetime?

    Much conflict in Africa reflects the difficulty of imposing a national identity upon diverse ethnic groups which had little contact with each other before European colonization brought some together arbitrarily and divided others among two or three nation states.   An incident at Sundi Lutete, Zaire in 1964 reminds me of my own sense of identity.  A Swedish friend had remarked
upon a particular aspect of my personality which he found so typical of Americans.  I was shocked to realize that he had identified me closely with the average American.  I had always seen myself as an atypical representative of my country because of my Mennonite culture.   Ask yourself what constitutes your own primary sense of identity.  Is it national?  Racial?  Religious? Economic?

    You will find that your own attitude towards the U.S. or Canada varies considerably.  When lost, upset, sick or alone, you may respond enthusiastically to the sight of the American flag,  to the sound of a popular song or a few words in English.  On the other hand, your host family's devotion to a TV show such as "Santa Barbara" dubbed into French may irritate you as you realize the image which much of the world has of American culture.

    Students returning from cross cultural seminars sometimes comment on how much more they appreciate their own nation after they have been overseas.  Why?  Is it because economic prosperity and the conveniences of modern life take precedence over all other values?  Or is it the sense of freedom, control and comfort one has in a home setting?  Others speak of alienation and discomfort upon their return.  Why?  Do certain intangible values found among their host families compensate for the economic disadvantages?  As you apply for your passport, remember how valuable it is.  Use it to reflect upon the changes in your own feelings which may take place during and after the seminar.

    Because nationality is determined by place of birth or the nationality of one's parents, a birth certificate with a raised seal is required when one applies for a passport.  You should request two certified copies, one to obtain your passport and the other to carry with you in the event that you lose your passport.   Birth registration was used as early as 1538 in England to prevent disputes regarding inheritance.  It has been compulsory in most countries since the 19th century.

    I invite you to reflect upon the significance of your birth certificate as you apply for it.  We take our birthdays for granted, but there are many people who have no birth certificate nor do they know the exact day or year when they were born.  The apostle Paul writes of the unity in Christ which abolishes differences between Jew and Greek, male and female, slave and freeman.  How is it that an event which you cannot even remember has had such a tremendous influence upon your destiny?
 
    What do you know about the circumstances of your own birth?  How would they compare with the events which took place at the time of birth of your parents or members of your future host families?  Ask your parents about your birth.  What documents, gifts, photos, etc. mark that special event?

    I have a "baby book" which includes a list of gifts, visitors, favorite stories, hand and foot prints, a lock of hair, photos, etc.  My mother's diary reminds me of changes that took place between my own birth on April 17, 1939  and the birth of my first son in 1971:  "Got up at five.  Started fires, put a few things away in house, etc.  Doctor and nurse Clara came.  Baby came at 15 till 2.  Ella stopped on way home from Wayland.  Lester took her home when he went after Esther and Wanda.  Irene and Ruth came down awhile in p.m.  Rained and snowed."  As I read that entry I realize that my mother worked hard even on the day of my birth, that I was born at home, that a sense of community was important, taken for granted and that the weather was a bit unusual for that time of year.

    You may wish to include details about your own birth in your scrapbook.  What can you can learn about the cultural similarities and differences found in attitudes and practices associated with birthdays in North America, France and Côte d'Ivoire?  After you have shared your story, ask to see documents which your host families have such as passports, birth certificates, drivers' licenses, student or national identity cards.  This provides you the opportunity to learn a bit of French.  Notice that the word née refers to one's maiden name.    Né is the past participle of the verb naître (to be born).  The English word "renaissance" is taken directly from the French which means rebirth.   Be prepared to explain why Americans, unlike citizens of most other countries, have no national identity card.

    You will submit only two photos for your passport according to the specifications on the back of the application, but you should order a total of at least 9 to be used for various other purposes such as a possible visa application, student identity card, metro orange card, etc.

    Not everyone takes photos for granted as we do.  I snapped hundreds of photos for my Zairian students from 1963 to 1965.  When I left they expressed more regret at losing their official photographer than their English and history teacher.  Most people will be flattered if you take their pictures; photos make appropriate gifts.  Airports, military bases, theaters and museums often have restrictions; abide by the rules.  Muslims do not want their pictures taken.

    After you have your birth certificate, two photos, a $65 check and your driver's license as proof of identity,  you may apply for your passport at one of 2500 courts or 900 post offices in the U.S.   A passport will provide you access to most European countries and Côte d'Ivoire.  Should we visit the neighboring country of Ghana, you would need to request a visa costing $20 which would be placed in your passport.  A visa is affixed in the country issuing the passport by an official of the country to be visited.  Since time is needed for each step (birth certificate, passport, visa), you should bring your birth certificates with you when you return on campus.

    You may consider your passport as a kind of souvenir when you return home.  Thirty years from now the photo will may remind you of how young, eager and excited you were in 1997.  Although officials in many European countries no longer bother to stamp passports upon entry, you may request that they do so.

According to Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, used in the broad sense of the term, a passport is something which secures admission or acceptance:  education as a passport to success.   May your passport provide access to a whole new world whose effects will continue long after its expiration date!

    --Carroll Yoder [an error occurred while processing this directive]