What are the two ways a person can become an American citizen?

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The correct answer highlights the two fundamental ways a person can become an American citizen: through birth and naturalization.

Being born in the United States or to American parents abroad typically grants automatic citizenship, known as birthright citizenship. This principle is established by the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which ensures that anyone born on U.S. soil is a citizen, regardless of the parents' immigration status.

Naturalization, on the other hand, is the legal process by which a foreign national can acquire citizenship after fulfilling certain requirements, such as residency, language proficiency, and knowledge of U.S. history and government. This process allows individuals who are not citizens by birth to become full members of the American community.

The other options do not encompass citizenship correctly: residency does not confer citizenship rights, education and employment are not pathways to citizenship, and while immigration is related to the process of becoming a citizen, it is not a standalone method of gaining citizenship. Therefore, birth and naturalization are the primary correct answers concerning how a person can become an American citizen.

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