Proud to be an American

On Friday I finally took the plunge and became an American citizen. I was one of 85 new citizens from 41 different countries taking the oath at a ceremony in the federal courthouse in Concord, New Hampshire. 
Here I am, from the back, taking the last step in what was a very long process. 

It's funny, when I first moved to the U.S. in 1995, I never imagined I would become an American citizen. I was a die-hard Canadian, having been involved in several Canadian elections, not to mention the gut-wrenching unity debate (in which Quebec wanted to secede from the nation) in the early-to mid 1990s. I thought I'd get my education and go home again. 
But then some interesting things happened. I took some great American politics classes that gave me a greater appreciation for the nation that I was taught to disdain. I ended up working for an American politics professor, who became a great mentor and friend, who helped me learn the ins and outs of a fascinating and complex political system. Finally, I married an American, then watched said husband join the U.S. Air Force, which also forced me to be willing to sacrifice his time in support of his nation. 
Anyone who's been in the military, or has been a close family member of someone in the military, knows that patriotism is a core value for service members. Why else would they do what they do? That certainly wasn't what I was thinking about when I supported Matthew's decision to join the Air Force. I was thinking it would be a good foray into international politics, and that we'd be able to move around. But along the way I learned to feel patriotic about my adopted country - even though overt patriotism was something else I was taught to disdain. I felt defensive of the U.S. when I'd go home to Canada and see all of the negative attitudes toward America in the media. 
So, it finally became not so difficult to picture myself as an American. I decided to apply for citizenship a few years ago, but we were still living in Queens, and I -- wisely I believe, in retrospect -- decided to wait until we made our next move. You have to have lived for two years at the same address to apply for citizenship, then it usually takes about a year to go through the process. I'm sure in Queens it would have been even longer, considering there are more foreign-born residents in Queens County than in any other county in the nation. 
Here in New Hampshire, things went smoothly. Very, very smoothly. Remarkably so. It only took four and a half months from when I applied until I took the oath. The governor even showed up to the swearing-in ceremony on Friday. Apparently he tries to go to as many as possible. (That wouldn't have happened in New York!) He also shook everyone's hand and took pictures with us. 

That's Governor John Lynch on the left. The man in the black robe is Judge Paul Barbadoro, who officiated. He and the governor also gave some remarks. They spoke about the reasons people become American citizens -- because of family, for economic reasons, to enjoy freedoms that aren't available in some nations. The judge read off a list of the countries represented and it amazed me at the diversity in the room. The largest group - 17 people - came from India. There were five Canadians. One Haitian. A handful from Eastern Europe. One Scotsman wearing a kilt. A large group from Brazil. 

Matthew had his hands full during the ceremony. He was wedged onto a small portion of a bench along with our four children. Anna kept crying, I felt bad. 

I did choke up a little, right toward the end, when I said the Pledge of Allegiance for the first time as an American citizen. When Matthew and I were dating, we went to a patriotic fireside and I said the pledge along with everyone else in the auditorium. Matthew questioned why I would say it when I was a Canadian. I was a little offended and said I didn't think it really mattered. I think the point, though, was that it mattered to him. I hadn't said the pledge since, even though I've attended countless public meetings as a journalist and always felt a little awkward not joining in and having people stare at me and wonder why I would opt out (they were probably thinking, 'figures, those liberal media types.') 
So, there you are. I am so ready to become a fully functioning member of my adopted homeland. I can't wait to register to vote. I can't wait to get involved in campaigns. I can't wait to send angry letters to my congressmen and senators! I really do love it here, for better or for worse, and I'm excited to see what happens next. 
And, just to clarify, I do get to keep my Canadian citizenship, so I'm not completely abandoning my home and native land. 
Speaking of civic engagement, Isaac and Matthew got tickets to see President Obama when he came to Nashua recently. They had a great time. Isaac thought the president was a great speaker and was really funny, though he had to miss school and was sad because his class was learning how to make a milkshake. 

There is one thing I am not willing to concede to my new country. I will continue to cheer with, and mourn alongside, Canadians when we play hockey against the U.S. It just doesn't mean the same thing to Americans to win that gold medal.