Madam, - I am writing from Malaysia, where I work and live with my Vietnamese wife and Malaysian-born Irish citizen daughter. I have followed the citizenship vote with much interest. I have not lived in Ireland for some years but I couldn't believe my eyes when reading John Waters's prediction that the citizenship referendum would be roundly defeated by three to one.
The reason the resolution had such support is twofold. Firstly, as Mr Waters has now accepted (Opinion, June 14th), many Irish people are indeed racist and xenophobic. Ask my wife about the "céad míle fáilte" and she will tell you also about the taunts of "Mail order bride"and "Chink". Also, how many Irish sons working abroad were asked by their mothers "not to bring home a black one"? I know several.
Secondly, although the referendum proposal unfortunately pandered to racism, it also made legal sense. If Mr Waters was wrong when he suggested the proposal would be defeated, he is wrong again to suggest that this will have an impact on how the Irish are treated abroad or affect the sense of welcome people have in Ireland.
My daughter has a Malaysian birth certificate which, under the "Citizenship" section, states "not defined". Our daughter's nationality was conferred by the consulates of her parents' country of origin. She is entitled to dual Irish/Vietnamese citizenship. We had two months to leave Malaysia after she was born so that she would re-enter the country as a tourist or dependant of a migrant worker on her own passport.
While I felt this was extraordinarily inconvenient, especially to my recovering wife, we never felt in any way less welcome. I imagine that many foreign nationals in Ireland will feel the same way about this resolution. An Irish passport at birth is a major benefit but most foreign nationals in Ireland will see the three-year wait as inconvenient, rather than anything else. My daughter would have to wait more than 18 years for a Malaysian passport.
Ireland can still move down the road of pluralism and inclusiveness and my wife and I hope to play our part. We will be returning home next month and look forward to raising our children in an increasingly multicultural society.
Mr Waters would be welcome in our home for some Irish-Vietnamese cooking. We hope he will not feel too bad for getting it so wrong. - Yours, etc.,
MARTIN HAYES,. Selangor, Malaysia.
Madam, - I never thought I'd be as ashamed to be Irish as I am today. I wonder if there is any way I could give away my citizenship to a non-national. I no longer wish to be part of such a racist nation. - Yours, etc.,
NEIL WARNER, Enniskerry, Co Wicklow.
Madam - As a committed No voter, this is, of course, a disappointing day for me. I am, however, taking heart from our now established system of rerunning referendums. When might we expect a date for the rematch? - Yours, etc.,
ANNE O'LEARY, Ovens, Co Cork.