I was turned down for a visa to go from Japan to
California for the summer in the 50s. I was so surprised and my
father was really angry about it and phoned the US ambassador and
asked him why. Apparently it seemed they didn't like the fact that at
the English boarding school I attended we had mock elections,
co-inciding with a UK national election. Two older girls had grabbed
the positions to be the Con and Labour candidates, so I stood as a
communist lol Didn't go down well in the 50s with a red under every
bed.
What is so stupid about these things is after my father spoke to the
ambassador, I had my visa! Looking back, it was intriguing that even
in those days, they knew that I had done that, wasn't even in Japan.