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The Myth of Anchor Babies
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The phrase "anchor baby" slices through political discourse with cruel efficiency. You've heard it—perhaps on news channels, debate stages, or even from the mouths of those who share our heritage. It transforms a newborn child into a tactic, a weapon, a calculated move in some imagined immigration chess game.
But what if everything you've been told about birthright citizenship is fundamentally wrong? While the 14th Amendment guarantees citizenship to anyone born on American soil, the idea that undocumented parents gain immediate legal status through their American-born children is pure fiction. The reality? Parents must wait until that child turns 21 before they can even apply for sponsorship—with no guarantee of approval. This podcast tears apart the notion that people endure dangerous journeys, leave everything behind, and build new lives just to implement a strategy with a 21-year waiting period.
Beyond debunking myths, we dive into the psychology behind why some immigrants themselves perpetuate these harmful narratives. When someone says, "I did it the right way, so should everyone else," they're often protecting their own trauma rather than protecting justice. Immigration isn't a standardized test—it's a survival tactic that looks different for every family based on their unique circumstances, resources, and dangers faced. The uncomfortable truth is that scapegoating immigrants distracts us from asking harder questions about who really benefits from our economic system. While we argue about who deserves to be here, wealth continues to flow upward, not laterally to each of us.
Who gets to belong, and who gets to decide? If you've never questioned the language we use around immigration or considered the human cost of these myths, this episode offers both facts and compassion. Listen, share, and ask someone who believes these myths: "Why do you believe that? Who told you that? What if they were wrong?" Subscribe now and join our community of thinkers who refuse to accept easy answers to complex human questions.
Resources Mentioned:
Stats
May 2025 from IPSOS: https://www.ipsos.com/en-us/majority-americans-oppose-ending-birthright-citizenship
May 2025 from NPR: https://www.npr.org/2025/05/15/g-s1-66693/majority-of-americans-oppose-ending-birthright-citizenship-npr-ipsos-poll-finds
Support the show
If today’s episode hit you in the chest the way it hit me, don’t just walk away—walk toward something that reflects you.
Subscribe to the podcast, hit that YouTube channel for the behind-the-scenes, and if you’re ready to read a story about what it really means to come home to yourself—
👉🏽 Preorder The Ordinary Bruja.
https://haveacupofjohanny.com/product/the-ordinary-bruja-book-one-of-las-cerradoras-series-j-e-ortega/
It’s about a Dominican-American bruja who’s been running from herself her whole life until ancestral magic, generational wounds, and a haunted-ass hill force her to face the truth.
If you’ve ever felt “too much,” “not enough,” or like you don’t fit anywhere, you’re exactly who this story was written for.
🎙️ Subscribe.
📺 Follow on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2SRDePbyy8M85Wbf25VUCg
📚 Preorder The Ordinary Bruja. https://haveacupofjohanny.com/product/the-ordinary-bruja-book-one-of-las-cerradoras-series-j-e-ortega/
Because becoming who you are is the bravest kind of magic.
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By Johanny Ortega
5
11 ratings
Send us a text
The phrase "anchor baby" slices through political discourse with cruel efficiency. You've heard it—perhaps on news channels, debate stages, or even from the mouths of those who share our heritage. It transforms a newborn child into a tactic, a weapon, a calculated move in some imagined immigration chess game.
But what if everything you've been told about birthright citizenship is fundamentally wrong? While the 14th Amendment guarantees citizenship to anyone born on American soil, the idea that undocumented parents gain immediate legal status through their American-born children is pure fiction. The reality? Parents must wait until that child turns 21 before they can even apply for sponsorship—with no guarantee of approval. This podcast tears apart the notion that people endure dangerous journeys, leave everything behind, and build new lives just to implement a strategy with a 21-year waiting period.
Beyond debunking myths, we dive into the psychology behind why some immigrants themselves perpetuate these harmful narratives. When someone says, "I did it the right way, so should everyone else," they're often protecting their own trauma rather than protecting justice. Immigration isn't a standardized test—it's a survival tactic that looks different for every family based on their unique circumstances, resources, and dangers faced. The uncomfortable truth is that scapegoating immigrants distracts us from asking harder questions about who really benefits from our economic system. While we argue about who deserves to be here, wealth continues to flow upward, not laterally to each of us.
Who gets to belong, and who gets to decide? If you've never questioned the language we use around immigration or considered the human cost of these myths, this episode offers both facts and compassion. Listen, share, and ask someone who believes these myths: "Why do you believe that? Who told you that? What if they were wrong?" Subscribe now and join our community of thinkers who refuse to accept easy answers to complex human questions.
Resources Mentioned:
Stats
May 2025 from IPSOS: https://www.ipsos.com/en-us/majority-americans-oppose-ending-birthright-citizenship
May 2025 from NPR: https://www.npr.org/2025/05/15/g-s1-66693/majority-of-americans-oppose-ending-birthright-citizenship-npr-ipsos-poll-finds
Support the show
If today’s episode hit you in the chest the way it hit me, don’t just walk away—walk toward something that reflects you.
Subscribe to the podcast, hit that YouTube channel for the behind-the-scenes, and if you’re ready to read a story about what it really means to come home to yourself—
👉🏽 Preorder The Ordinary Bruja.
https://haveacupofjohanny.com/product/the-ordinary-bruja-book-one-of-las-cerradoras-series-j-e-ortega/
It’s about a Dominican-American bruja who’s been running from herself her whole life until ancestral magic, generational wounds, and a haunted-ass hill force her to face the truth.
If you’ve ever felt “too much,” “not enough,” or like you don’t fit anywhere, you’re exactly who this story was written for.
🎙️ Subscribe.
📺 Follow on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2SRDePbyy8M85Wbf25VUCg
📚 Preorder The Ordinary Bruja. https://haveacupofjohanny.com/product/the-ordinary-bruja-book-one-of-las-cerradoras-series-j-e-ortega/
Because becoming who you are is the bravest kind of magic.