A citizen, finally

Those of you who follow my blog know that I've been on a long and tortuous path to citizenship that has lasted 14 years (depending on how you start the clock). I won't rehash, and you can read about some of the interim stages I've had to pass through here and here. However, it all came to a much-awaited end for me this past Wednesday, when I took my Oath of Citizenship at a downtown Chicago District Courthouse.

In a letter I had received two weeks ago, I had been told to "dress appropriately". Loathe to wear a suit in Chicago's 90 degree summer heat, I decided to go business casual before I left home, kissing my wife and baby goodbye. I'd be returning a changed man.

The courthouse and its interior were no different than any other government building anywhere in the world. It doesn't matter whether you are in sub-Saharan Africa, Communist China, or Democratic America. A government building is a government building - a place where good taste goes to die a slow, agonizing death, and where the facilities belie trends that were popular at least three decades ago. Drab concrete facades, ugly faux-marble tiling, fading carpeting asking to be put out of its misery - the list was endless. But I noticed little as I got to the designated courtroom and joined the line to present my papers.

I was expecting mostly Hispanic immigrants, given Chicago's sizable Latin American community, but in fact there were mutliple ethnicities present, with no one geography dominating. All waited nervously, fidgeting with their papers and straining to hear any instructions that the officers of the court called out to us. One dude in particular caught my eye, and I have to mention him here because of what has to be either sheer ignorance or huge cojones. The man in question was a balding Asian gentleman, in his sixties, who was wearing a white t-shirt and light-colored pants. You could tell that this was a man that had never really dressed himself, relying at various stages in his life for his mother, his wife, and what was clearly a sadistic set of children to lay out "appropriate attire" for him. I say sadistic, because this Asian gentleman was waiting to take the oath of citizenship to the United States of America wearing a t-shirt that said "Proud to be Canadian."

Like I said. Sheer ignorance or huge cojones.

Once we had all taken a seat, the judge entered the chamber, and congratulated us on making it this far. She said a few inspiring words and asked us to continue to strengthen this great nation with our diversity, and then asked all to rise as she adminstered the oath. Reciting after her, I felt no real emotion until we got to the last line. As I finished reciting the "so help me God", I realized that I was now a citizen. That I had attained that Holy Grail that many immigrants aspire to, but so few attain. I got a little emotional actually, considering the set of rights I had suddenly come to possess. Spontaneous clapping broke out soon afterwards, and those who had family in the stands dispersed to take pictures with their loved ones. The first stop I made was outside the courtroom, where volunteers had conveniently set up posts to allow us newly-minted citizens to register to vote. My first act as a citizen - doing something responsible. Woohoo!

All in all, I'm elated at the ability to breeze through airport immigration around the world, and cannot wait to test things out. However, benefits of US citizenship aside, my Pakistani identity is ingrained in my DNA, and I will remain a Pakistani-American. What is strangest to me, however, is that I will no longer be able to disdainfully blame "you Americans" whenever discussing disagreeable policies that US citizens have supported via their politicans. Instead, the phrase will have to become "we Americans" now. That's a lot of responsibility.

Anyways, enough with the deep talk. If you will excuse me, I need to go fill out my NRA membership form, and join the local chapter of the Minutemen. After that, I need to figure out which legislator to lobby to prevent these damn immigrants from taking jobs away from us hard working Americans. Go back where you came from buddy!