WIFR-TV (Rockford, IL): Immigrants Granted Citizenship in Rockford
It's a privilege most of us are born with, but becoming an American citizen was much more difficult for some 233 immigrants. Some lived here in the stateline for decades before they officially became an American at Rock Valley College on Friday.
"I was living on a green card since '91 and then last April I initiated the process," said Kevin Jesmer, a former Canadian citizen.
All of the immigrants sworn in on Friday have been living in the United States legally for at least five years. People who do not have their legal documentation cannot apply for American citizenship.
"Some people entered as refugees and they have green cards upon entry that allow them to work and live in the United States. Others are sponsored immigrants," said Amy Massot with Rock Valley College.
Most of the new citizens came to the United States for the same reason as our ancestors; they believe America is a land of freedom and possibilities.
"It's bigger opportunities here. I can go to school. When I finish school I get a nice job and work," said Vladimir Silchuk, a former citizen of Ukraine.
Some of these immigrants do not think those trying to live here illegally should have the same rights as those who wait for the legal process.
"It's bad for us because we had to do the paperwork, we had to wait. When they just come in illegally and get the same privileges, it's not fair to us," said Silchuk.
The new citizens had to go through a yearlong process of interviews, tests and paperwork. Now they can finally enjoy what so many other foreign citizens are denied., a chance at the American dream.
All the requirements for becoming a U.S. citizen are posted online. To learn more about the process, log onto www.uscis.gov.
Here's more:
San Mateo Daily Journal: Citizenship is more than just an oath
It took Daly City resident Jocelyn Cruz 13 years to make the decision to become a United States citizen but only a few minutes to make that decision official.
On April 20, Cruz and 1,258 other immigrants representing 97 different countries took an oath to become an American citizen at the Masonic Auditorium in San Francisco. The immigrants were asked to stand when their country was named and shortly after 10 a.m. U.S. Rep. Tom Lantos, D-San Mateo, swore them in as citizens of the United States. Some cried, some breathed a sigh of relief — Cruz was just happy she could finally travel with her 15-year-old daughter.
Since 1991, Cruz traveled with a Philippines passport and her daughter traveled with a U.S. passport. They have been required to stand in different lines at airports and go through different procedures. Now Cruz can travel with confidence next to her daughter and she’s free to take international cruises with her friends or husband, an American citizen.
It’s only a piece of paper, but it offers a sense of freedom immigrants don’t realize they’re missing until they spend years living in the United States. After putting down roots in the Unites States, having a family and landing a job, the privileges of citizenship become obvious. Voting and traveling are the most cited reasons people at last month’s ceremony say they wanted to be a citizen.
In 1988, Cruz’s sister legally moved to the Bay Area. Her sister then petitioned for their parents and two younger siblings. Cruz was 18 at the time and did not qualify to come to the United States via a petition. In 1990, she began visiting her family on vacation. During the visits, she met her future husband and decided to stay for good in 1993.
Since then, she said she was too busy working and being a mom to become a citizen, she said.
After making a call to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to become a citizen, immigrants are usually surprised by how easy the process is. Cruz applied in November, was interviewed in April and was signed up to take the April 20 oath.
Johanna Jans, of Pacifica, said she was also surprised at how easy it was to become a citizen and finally be able to vote. After an initial interview, she was signed up for the April 20 oath.
Unlike Cruz, Jans did not bring any family. She was not prepared for what an important event it was.
“I hadn’t fully appreciated what a big event that was, I had no idea,” Jans said. “I felt more impressed by the importance of it. Some people were very emotional.”
Jans moved to the United States 14 years ago after meeting her American husband at a friend’s party while she vacationed here. He met her the next month in Amsterdam and when the two decided to wed, she moved from her native Holland to the United States. She now has a 5-year-old daughter and is a stay-at-home mom.
Mounting frustrations over not being allowed to vote led her to pursue citizenship. Her dreams of being able to vote were met with a line of Democratic, Republican and Green party representatives pushing registration cards on immigrants entering the Masonic Auditorium. They are there every month when citizens are sworn in.
For years, the only proof Jans belonged in this country was the small green card she carried. Before the oath ceremony, Jans was asked to hand over the green card in exchange for her citizenship certificate. After the ceremony, she had to turn in her certificate to have her passport issued.
“It’s all kind of scary. My green card for all these years has been it. It’s my only proof that I live here. You suddenly are sitting there with nothing,” Jans said.
Freedom is scary, madam. Welcome to the real world.
Congratulations. Even if you decide to vote Democrass.
Both women were one of 1,259 people to become citizens in April in Northern California, representing the area from Bakersfield to the Oregon border. About 35,000 people become citizens annually, said Sharon Rummery, spokeswoman for the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
There is an oath held every month in San Francisco with a different keynote speaker. Lantos, April’s speaker, emigrated from Hungary in 1947 on an academic scholarship. He was 16 years old when the Nazis took control of Hungary and forced him into a Hungarian fascist forced labor camp. He is the only Holocaust survivor to serve in Congress.
“When I arrived in New York, I didn’t know a single person and I didn’t have a single penny to my name, but I felt I was on the threshold of becoming a citizen of a unique and extraordinary society,” Lantos said.
Much like Lantos, Cruz said she came to America to “try her luck.” After 15 years, with her husband by her side, a certificate of citizenship in hand and her daughter in her thoughts, Cruz knows one thing for certain.
“It’s been good luck,” she said.
Doesn't anyone see how allowing criminals to bully their way to citizenship by sheer numbers cheapens the achievements of decent, law-abiding , REAL immigrants who love this country more than many of us who were born here?
Muskegon Chronicle: 'Lost Boy' no more; call him an American citizen
Long ago, in what seems like another life, Gabriel Agor knew nothing of freedom and opportunity. He knew only survival.
And he never imagined as he fled the nightmare that was Sudan in 1987 that he might end up where he is today.
"Through almighty God, we make it in a way that we don't even know. We never dreamed that we would be in America," said Agor, 25, a Grand Rapids resident who is proud to call himself a U.S. citizen.
Amen to that, Brother, and congratulations. You are already a better American than many of your fellow citizens.
He is believed to be the first of West Michigan's "Lost Boys" of Sudan to achieve the distinction. Agor was scheduled to be sworn in today in a ceremony at the Gerald R. Ford Museum with dozens of other new citizens.
While it is a remarkable journey, Agor deflected praise for himself. He wanted instead to thank all those who helped since he arrived in December 2000.
"I don't know what to say to the government of America and the people of Grand Rapids. The way they welcome us, it's really wonderful."
There have been other impressive milestones among the estimated 200 Lost Boys who have settled in West Michigan since 2000:
In 2003, David Mayom and Abraham Garang graduated from Grand Rapids Community College.
In May 2005, Simon Majak was first to join the military when he signed up for the Marines. He called it his way of saying "thank you."No sir. Thank you. And kill some bad guys so Iraqis can be free in their homeland.
In December, Mayom became the first to earn a four-year college degree when he graduated from Western Michigan University.
But Western Michigan University student David Bishow, another Lost Boy, said he believes Agor is the first in this community to gain citizenship.
Under immigration law, refugees are permanent residents when they arrive and are eligible to become citizens after five years.
They are among about 3,700 Sudanese refugees to settle in America, including eight of the Lost Boys who settled in Grand Haven in 2001, sponsored by the First Christian Reformed Church.
Agor said his father and a brother were killed in the war. He has not seen his mother or other siblings since they were separated in 1987. His mother remains in a refugee camp in Kenya, while another brother is in a hospital in Uganda with chronic malaria and his sister is in a hospital in Kenya with diabetes.
From his earnings in his second-shift job at Lacks Industries in Kentwood, Agor managed to scrape together $200 to send them to defray their medical expenses.
"It is not a lot of money in America. But in Africa, it is quite a lot," he said.
Unsure if he will ever see them again, Agor manages to smile and think that the best days are still ahead.
"In America, it means a lot to have citizenship. I am proud to be part of this country."
Maybe we could start some sort of barter program where we would send squishy-soft leftist pinheads to third world cesspools in exchange for decent people who will appreciate the freedom and rule of law the pinheads take for granted.
No comments:
Post a Comment