citizenship

I have a really good friend who grew up in Nicaragua, and since he's known of our country, he's wanted to be here. As a youngster, he wondered if the children of the United States knew just how fortunate they were. He imagined they all had beds of their own, that all of the little boys had shiny, new bicycles and the little girls rode ponies. He heard of our great melting pot early on and dreamed himself of what it must be like to live in a world where dreams really do come true. The stories, he said, spoke of our land as though it were a sort of biblical place that flowed with milk and honey.

I don't know that I've ever seen anybody so proud in all of my life, unless it would be me. After waiting so long, doing what was necessary, taking the test and the oath, and reciting the Pledge, my friend is now one of us. He's been here for about a decade now, but just a year or so ago he became a naturalized US citizen. It was a long, tedious and expensive task. But he was determined since arriving here to make this his home. Before coming he'd made up his mind that he would not ask for assistance, and he would not wait for an opportunity. He would make his own and do what he could to support himself now while planning for the future.

There are those who don't take the time to get to know him. Their prejudice will not allow it. He says he understands, but I still take issue. I've never asked him to forget his heritage or his customs. He speaks English quite well, but I still ask him to give me some Spanish from time to time. I was on the edge of tears when he recited,

Juro fidelidad a la bandera
de los Estados Unidos de América,
y a la república que representa
una nación bajo Dios,
indivisible cón libertad
y justicía para todós.

Imagine it now in Polish or German, maybe Italian or Hebrew, or one of the languages your great, great grandparents might have spoken.