My process for officially becoming a citizen started in the summer of 2021, and over a year and a half later, I’ve officially taken my Oath of Citizenship. There were months of worrying, fearing that I may not be able to get my citizenship in the near future. I had the unfortunate luck of having the wrong documents filled out, and it delayed my citizenship process. And given the fact that my green card expired last year, it’s something I was worried about.

I feared that it wouldn’t come in on time, especially given the fact that I have to leave the country this coming summer. It took over a year for my official approval letter to come in, so why wouldn’t the new forms also take that long?

But, I was luckier than most. My father is a US-born citizen; he was able to naturalize me instead of going through the proper channels and taking a citizenship test before I could be approved. I didn’t have to do all those extra steps, I just had to wait for the government to send me the proper documentation needed to become an official US citizen.

All the fears dissipated when I got the official letter in my mailbox telling me the date and time of my official Oath of Citizenship. It was one of the best days of my life.

This was something I’d been dreaming about for years, one of the most crucial moments of my life. I’ve officially been granted all of the same rights as a US-born citizen.

The one I’m most excited about using? My right to vote.

I have my own issues with this country, and at this point in time, I probably have more problems with this country than before. But, I still love this country. I believe this country could do better. I’m staying here and want to fight for this country’s future.

As I stated in my Oath of Allegiance, “… I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic;”

It’s my forever home, and I’ll be damned if I allow for the systematic de-establishment of all of these guaranteed rights.