Proud To Be

A US citizen! Finally my immigration journey has been completed. I'm at awe during the ceremony in Santa Fe, NM last week. The speeches were so inspiring especially coming from an immigrant like us. Yes it was a gift of democracy and a gift to our future generation from a great country. There were 195 applicants from 55 countries that are naturalizing on that day and only 2 of us were from the Philippines. The Santa Fe local government hold this even once a year during September, luckily I belong to this batch. A once in a lifetime experience. I felt like it was my graduation in a sense that I graduated from all the immigration paperwork.

My emotion at that time was beyond my control, I totally understand how to be a US citizen. I thought it was just finishing all the paperwork and get US passport to be able to travel to different countries without dealing with visas and embassies. I was totally wrong! It is all about defending your new country and enjoying the democracy.

Somehow, you will feel so fortunate being in the US at least I do, since I have been to other country where OFWs will be forever ofws for the rest of their lives no matter how many decades they spend their sweat and blood in that foreign country. Judge Martha Vazquez of Santa Fe, NM and her assistant handed our citizenship certificate. Her message was amazing having immigrant parents.

This is Atty. Erlinda Johnson also a naturalized immigrant from Nicaragua. I listened to her speech wonderful speech that kinda similar to what I have been through as a kid. Behind me is Santa Fe city councilor Carmichael Dominguez.

Among all the crowds on that day, there was this one person that stood out, my husband. He was the proudest taking pictures of me receiving my certificate. His facial expressions say it all! If it was not him, I would not be here. We were discussing on the way home why there were people risking their lives to cross the boarder, why there were so many so try to get to the US illegally. I now fully understand why.