Coming to America

Friday, after more than six years of living in the United States, my parents and I, along with 55 others truly became American citizens. \nThe naturalization ceremony gave me the right to vote, which is the most significant privilege one receives as a U.S. citizen. The ceremony was brief -- the judge's speech, the oath of naturalization and the pledge of allegiance took at most 20 minutes. We spent much more on the process of checking in, handing in the documents we no longer needed -- green cards and re-entry permits. \nAccording to the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration (formerly the Immigration and Naturalization Services), during the first 10 months of fiscal year 2002 the number of applications for naturalization increased by 58 percent, and 454,069 applicants took the oath of citizenship. \nAs the judge told us, the naturalization ceremony was the final step in our journey to U.S. citizenship. \nThe journey was a long one. \nSoon after Mikhail Gorbachev became the leader of the Soviet government, the borders opened to let more people leave. The first wave of a mass exodus took place. But not everyone had the economic opportunities to leave or the connections to make life in a new country easier. My father was one of these less fortunate. He kept applying for green cards year after year. My dad wanted his children to have a new life. And he didn't think it was possible even in "democratic" Russia.\nFinally, almost 10 years after he first applied, the American Embassy in Moscow invited my family for an interview on April 17, 1996. Eight months later, we arrived in Cincinnati, Ohio, green cards in hand and ready for a new life. \nIn actuality, we weren't ready. At 14, my life was torn apart -- my friends, my relatives and everything I had ever known were left behind. I was forced to speak this strange language in school, with bizarre spelling and sounds. But my family persevered. The United States is a country of immigrants, which makes it so attractive to people like us.\nWhen we had lived in the United States for five years, we applied for citizenship. At 12 pages, form N-400 has to be the longest application in the world. We sent in our applications in December 2001 when the government tightened the borders and paid closer attention to naturalization applicants than previously as one of the direct effects of Sept. 11. But we were hopeful -- no one in my family had committed a crime beyond "forgetting" about the speed limit. \nRequirements for naturalization include: a period of continuous residence and physical presence in the United States, an ability to read, write and speak English, knowledge and understanding of U.S. history and government, good moral character and attachment to the principles of the U.S. Constitution.\nAfter our applications were reviewed in Omaha, Neb., the bureau required us to submit fingerprints in August 2002. The prints are run through an FBI terrorist database to make sure that applicants aren't terrorists. In March 2003, we received invitations for interviews with an immigration officer. We had to pass a 10-question test on the history and law of the U.S. \nI haven't forgotten life in Russia. My parents had it much harder than my sister, my brother and I did. They experienced the hungry years, the deficits and being Jewish in an anti-semitic state. Still, Russia represents my past and my childhood, and I want to go visit. With an American passport, it's much easier -- the blue cover has America's powerful reputation behind it. \nBecoming a citizen wasn't emotional. Instead, it was empowering. Because I wasn't born here I can't become the first female president of the United States, but I can take an active part in the choices this country makes. And that's enough for me. For now.