I went to my parents’ U.S. citizenship ceremony today at the Rose Wagner Theater. There were 198 candidates from 51 countries, 17 from the Philippines. Kindergarten kids sang patriotic songs. Then the whole group stood up to take the oath of citizenship. Some people were invited to share their feelings. Jorge from Uruguay closed his speech by looking for his wife at the balcony above and saying, “Karen, stand up. You are the best wife and you complete me.” And then a woman from Beijing told us of an incident that impressed her about America years ago. A 15 year old girl told her that some people didn’t like the US president, but she did. “That was amazing to me,” the woman from China said, “to be able to talk so openly about liking the president.”
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Wow, big congratulations for them! That’s awesome!
How cool! I bet that was so great to see.
Hey thanks. Yeah, it was great to be there, especially since I’d forgotten what it was like for me to get my US citizenship. After the ceremony, while I waited for my parents, I exchanged glances with a woman who had just gotten her citizenship, and she was glowing. It is quite a milestone in one’s life, to choose the country you will call your own.