A Transient Citizen

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A Transient Citizen

"...1 hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince or state of whom or which I have been a subject or citizen...."

This is a clause from an oath I took on February 6, 2002—an ordinary day of no significance to most people, a climatic point in my life—it was the day I became a U.S. citizen. I did not attend the formal ceremony in the Los Angeles Convention Center, yet for me it did not matter; I was still just as excited, for this was the day I became a true American. There were many people from different cultures in the noisy office where I received my certificate, yet we were all filled with the same excitement—the potential of the American Dream and to be part of the greatest nation.

It seemed that every time an employee came out they called someone else, as if I was not even there, and I started to worry. The fear of returning home without being a citizen of this nation started to cross my mind. Two hours passed and I was sitting in the same chair listening to the noise of the typewriters inside the offices. Then, as if time itself had stopped, it happened; they called me to the front window. It was as if I as walking to the doors of heaven. I recognized that it was not the end but rather a new beginning. It was the creation of a new person. The oath was simple; I had promised to support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies. I choked on the very words when I realized I had just taken an oath promising to bear arms even against the country of my birth. For so long I envisioned perfection as the day I would become a citizen of a country that I had learned to love. I realized ...

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...goals aimed at success, having a stable job or owning a house, but it is now a long-term goal that seeks to find a stable point between two nations even if the nations themselves are not at peace.

Now that I have gone through the process of applying for United States citizenship, I have taken the responsibility to choose between Mexico and The United States—between my roots and my future. I have taken an oath, not only before The Great American seal, but also and most importantly before God. I do not wish to question whether I regret becoming a citizen or not, for the only obstacle that is always holding us back is not being able to let go of the past. However, I cannot completely erase what I feel for Mexico, for I do not want to forget my heritage, mi cultura. I may be bound to the American flag and the U.S. Constitution, but I am still proud of being Mexican.

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