REPORT: Newborn Panda’s Citizenship Disputed
We the people of the United States are entitled to view a birth certificate.
By: Steven Chen
At 6:35 p.m. on August 21, 2020, Giant Panda Mei Xiang gave birth to a cub at Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington, DC. While China owns and leases all Giant Pandas in U.S. zoos, the panda cub’s birth on U.S. soil has raised debates over the cub’s citizenship and legal status in the United States.
Mark Hanson, a zookeeper at the National Zoo, called in the lead saying, “While Mei Xiang is from China, the cub was born here, giving it dual citizenship, but no one is talking about it.” He has brought up the subject with his supervisors and has even e-mailed the Contact Us address on the Smithsonian Institute’s website, but has received no response. “They’re hiding something. A panda with dual citizenship is too powerful,” Hanson says skittishly. And he’s not the only one who believes something is amiss.
When the Smithsonian Institute failed to respond, Hanson created a Facebook group that has amassed over 8,000 members. This group of “Bear-Birthers” are equally convinced that the government is hiding something and that “the Chinese asset [panda cub] is probably even a major factor in U.S.-China relations,” as quoted from the group’s description.
Hanson even went as far to suggest that the Coronavirus pandemic might have been a calculated response to the situation. “It could have been a preemptive retaliation. Think about the timing. Sure the cub wasn’t born, but they knew Mei Xiang was pregnant! There’s no way they could not know that. Even if it isn’t a power move by China, it’s still chain migration,” exclaimed Hanson.
Group members have other theories. An open poll showed that 70% of the group thought “the government, but not Trump 2020” was responsible for the alleged secrecy or wrongdoing. 22% did their best to write-in “Coronavirus,” and more than 10 users just typed in “google is panda black bear and cold bear have baby.” The group has some interesting and creative theories, but none seem to have any basis in reality.
While the citizenship of the cub is conceptually interesting, the cub would not be able to vote or run for political office, so the issue is inconsequential. The real controversy may lie in the fact that the Smithsonian’s Contact Us system is not being properly maintained.
Public transparency is essential. Leaving questions unanswered creates distrust and panic. Mark Hanson seems to want a simple answer, but what happens when a man is pushed too far? And what happens if that man has 8,000 followers? Keep an eye out for our follow-up piece: What’s Black and White and Red All Over? THE TRUTH.
