First-Baby Sweepstakes Fuels Immigration Debate

[Quicksilver]

It seemed like a perfect formula for good publicity: A national sweepstakes would award a $25,000 United States savings bond to the first American baby born in 2007, courtesy of the toy chain Toys “R” Us and its Babies “R” Us division.

Instead, after disqualifying a Chinese-American baby girl born in New York Downtown Hospital at the stroke of midnight on New Year’s, the toy company finds itself caught in the glare of the immigration debate, stumbling over the nation’s new demographic realities.

The baby girl, Yuki Lin, was an American citizen from the second the ball dropped in Times Square, where the Toys “R” Us flagship store draws thousands of shoppers from around the world. But like 6 out of 10 babies born in the city — including at least two others born in Brooklyn about the same moment — she has immigrant parents. And according to the contest’s fine print, the chain decided, she was ruled out because her mother was not a legal resident.

Should toys-r-us have to pay?

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/06/ny...TsNr23YsznWVLA

[Rev Z-Man]

They should repeal the "Born here Citizen" rules if the parents aren't citizens. It's just another free ride scam.

[Thunder22]

Rules are rules. She no more deserved that prize than I did.

[Ishniknork]

Kinda beside the point, but what about the other time zones? I guess we get left out in the cold...

[PersonaNonGrata]

Re: The Contest Rules

It does seem to be common in sweepstakes that winners must be legal US residents. I'm not sure why but thems the rules. The baby may be a US citizen but is she the winner or is her parent and legal guardian the winner? We'd have to see all of the rules and regs to see if that makes a difference.

Re: Born Here = Citizen

I too think that this rule needs to change as part of meaningful and comprehensive immigration reform. It has encouraged illegal immigration and put a tremendous burden on our healthcare system. Every day dozens of babies of illegal aliens are born in hospitals all over the country. How many of those pay the medical bills? If it is a fraction of one per cent I'd be surprised. In my area it is a well known phenomenon that people come up from across the border and wait in the hospital parking lot until the mother goes into labor. They are called "parking lot babies".

At a minimum there should be the requirement that the newborn's parent(s) be legal residents before the baby gets automatic citizenship.

[Quicksilver]

The problem is gutless politicians greedy lawyers and employers who turn their heads.

A Chinese-American lawyer saw Yuki’s story and started a major publicity campaign to force Toys ‘R Us to reverse their decision and award Yuki the savings bond, calling on influential Asian Americans to lend pressure and criticism of the toy company. The campaign worked, and over the weekend Toys ‘R Us decided to award Yuki the $25,000 prize, along with two other babies that were also born on the stroke of midnight on Jan. 1st, 2007. Obviously the prospect of facing off against increasingly powerful immigrant rights groups proved too unappetizing for Toys ‘R Us and it reneged on its own contest rules.

[Thunder22]

Originally Posted by Quicksilver

The problem is gutless politicians greedy lawyers and employers who turn their heads.

A Chinese-American lawyer saw Yuki’s story and started a major publicity campaign to force Toys ‘R Us to reverse their decision and award Yuki the savings bond, calling on influential Asian Americans to lend pressure and criticism of the toy company. The campaign worked, and over the weekend Toys ‘R Us decided to award Yuki the $25,000 prize, along with two other babies that were also born on the stroke of midnight on Jan. 1st, 2007. Obviously the prospect of facing off against increasingly powerful immigrant rights groups proved too unappetizing for Toys ‘R Us and it reneged on its own contest rules.

because of the controversy, TRUs received substantially more than $75,000 in free advertising, AND they look like the good guys by giving in and paying off 3 people instead of 1. TRUs' motives might look genuine, but I have my suspicions that the suits at trus' are laughing all the way to the bank on this one.

[rayxi]

There are two separate issues here. Is TRU abiding by their contest rules and should being born on US soil automatically entitle citizenship. The first issue should only consider existing law not what the law should be.

Originally Posted by gresch

because of the controversy, TRUs received substantially more than $75,000 in free advertising, AND they look like the good guys by giving in and paying off 3 people instead of 1. TRUs' motives might look genuine, but I have my suspicions that the suits at trus' are laughing all the way to the bank on this one.

TRU didn't run the contest to be good Samaritans. They ran the contest as part of an advertising campaign and it appears they got their money's worth.

[bjo]

I'd hate to imagine if the baby's parents were hispanic. There would be all sorts of whining and complaining from LULAC, protests, etc.