(EDIT: It looks like I have not understood. Discussion should continue, as opinions are divided, but the issue does indeed appear to clinched by having two citizen parents (or a father who was a citizen, in which case the mother may well also be a citizen under common law 'coverture') rather than where one is born. Leaving my original comment here, for the discussion, but I think I was incorrect.)
There are potentially several paths to becoming a "natural born citizen". The main one is being born in the United States and not requiring any other naturalization process to become a citizen.
Apparently, there is some uncertainty whether someone born outside of the US jurisdiction but of one or two American citizen parent(s) and is a citizen at birth qualifies as "natural born citizen".
A natural born citizen refers to someone who was a U.S. citizen at birth, and did not need to go through a naturalization proceeding later in life. Under the 14th Amendment's Naturalization Clause and the Supreme Court case of United States v. Wong Kim Ark, 169 US. 649, anyone born on U.S. soil and subject to its jurisdiction is a natural born citizen, regardless of parental citizenship.
In Harris' case, she needs the certificate that she was born on US soil (under US jurisdiction), because neither of her parents was a US citizen when she was born.
The Constitution does not expressly define “natural born” nor has the Supreme Court ever ruled precisely upon its meaning. There is some uncertainty over whether a person that is born outside the U.S. but still becomes a citizen at birth through a statute is a natural born citizen. One example is U.S. citizenship that immediately passes from the person's parents.
There was no need for the US Constitution to define Natural-Born Citizen, because the authors of the 14th Amendment understood the term’s meaning was already well understood.
Like the term “ARMS” was well understood and self-evident for the authors of the 2nd Amendment, “NATURAL-BORN CITIZEN” was well understood and self-evident for the authors of the 14th Amendment.
That said, John Bingham — the lead author of the 14th Amendment — he still told everyone precisely how “NATURAL-BORN CITIZEN” is to be understood while he discussed the term on the congressional floor. In other words, the “definition” came directly from the author of the 14th Amendment:
"To naturalize a person is to admit him to citizenship. Who are natural-born citizens but those born within the Republic? Those born within the Republic, whether black or white, are citizens by birth -- natural-born citizens. There is no such thing as white in your Constitution. Citizenship, therefore, does not depend upon complexion any more than it depends upon the rights of election or of office. All from other lands, who by the terms of [congressional] laws and a compliance with their provisions become naturalized, are adopted citizens of the United States; all other persons born within the Republic, of parents owing allegiance to no other sovereignty, are natural born citizens. Gentleman can find no exception to this statement touching natural-born citizens except what is said in the Constitution relating to Indians." [Congressional Globe, House of Representatives, 37th Congress, 2nd Session]
“Every human being born within the jurisdiction of the United States of parents not owing allegiance to any foreign sovereignty is, in the language of your Constitution itself, a natural born citizen.” [Congressional Globe, House of Representatives, 39th Congress, 1st Session]
“…OF PARENTS NOT OWING ALLEGIANCE TO ANY FOREIGN SOVEREIGNTY…”
This is a moot point. In reality, any federal court will view Harris to be a natural born citizen and eligible to be president because she was born on US soil.
We all know she is an anchor baby. Someone born here is deemed a citizen - a bit embarrassing, but not illegal.
Crucial is birth certificate with American hospital on it. If not, she's not.
Where you are born does not matter. What matters is having two citizen parents at the time of birth.
This (seems to be) incorrect.
(EDIT: It looks like I have not understood. Discussion should continue, as opinions are divided, but the issue does indeed appear to clinched by having two citizen parents (or a father who was a citizen, in which case the mother may well also be a citizen under common law 'coverture') rather than where one is born. Leaving my original comment here, for the discussion, but I think I was incorrect.)
There are potentially several paths to becoming a "natural born citizen". The main one is being born in the United States and not requiring any other naturalization process to become a citizen.
Apparently, there is some uncertainty whether someone born outside of the US jurisdiction but of one or two American citizen parent(s) and is a citizen at birth qualifies as "natural born citizen".
https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/natural_born_citizen
In Harris' case, she needs the certificate that she was born on US soil (under US jurisdiction), because neither of her parents was a US citizen when she was born.
(also https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/natural_born_citizen)
WRONG…
There was no need for the US Constitution to define Natural-Born Citizen, because the authors of the 14th Amendment understood the term’s meaning was already well understood.
Like the term “ARMS” was well understood and self-evident for the authors of the 2nd Amendment, “NATURAL-BORN CITIZEN” was well understood and self-evident for the authors of the 14th Amendment.
That said, John Bingham — the lead author of the 14th Amendment — he still told everyone precisely how “NATURAL-BORN CITIZEN” is to be understood while he discussed the term on the congressional floor. In other words, the “definition” came directly from the author of the 14th Amendment:
https://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=llcg&fileName=059/llcg059.db&recNum=680
HIGHLIGHTS:
John Bingham | A Matter of Allegiance
"To naturalize a person is to admit him to citizenship. Who are natural-born citizens but those born within the Republic? Those born within the Republic, whether black or white, are citizens by birth -- natural-born citizens. There is no such thing as white in your Constitution. Citizenship, therefore, does not depend upon complexion any more than it depends upon the rights of election or of office. All from other lands, who by the terms of [congressional] laws and a compliance with their provisions become naturalized, are adopted citizens of the United States; all other persons born within the Republic, of parents owing allegiance to no other sovereignty, are natural born citizens. Gentleman can find no exception to this statement touching natural-born citizens except what is said in the Constitution relating to Indians." [Congressional Globe, House of Representatives, 37th Congress, 2nd Session]
“Every human being born within the jurisdiction of the United States of parents not owing allegiance to any foreign sovereignty is, in the language of your Constitution itself, a natural born citizen.” [Congressional Globe, House of Representatives, 39th Congress, 1st Session]
“…OF PARENTS NOT OWING ALLEGIANCE TO ANY FOREIGN SOVEREIGNTY…”
This is a moot point. In reality, any federal court will view Harris to be a natural born citizen and eligible to be president because she was born on US soil.