By Annie Rochon
In the midst of our upcoming elections, immigration is a hot topic. We forget to talk about the fact that becoming a US citizen is a long and sometimes difficult process. You do not get up one morning with the goal of becoming a citizen on that same day. Becoming a US Citizen is also a rewarding process and, like everything else in life, you have to want it, to get it.
Meet Cristhian Gonzales. Cristhian is a freshman here at Paul Smiths and part of the HEOP program. He is always smiling, participating in class, and is determined to be successful in his college career. Just recently, Cristhian became a proud American citizen. He is from a small town called Mao Valverde in the Dominican Republic. The Dominican Republic is a country in the Caribbean. It shares an island called Hispaniola with another country, Haiti. The Dominican Republic is also a very popular tourist destination.
Cristhian and his family moved to the United States in 2010 when he was 11 years old. His mom decided to immigrate to this country because she wanted to give her children a better life, and a better education. For him, the United States represents a land of opportunities, a place of dreamers, and where people who put in the effort and sacrifice, can achieve what they want.
I asked him if he missed home, the Dominican Republic. He said that what he missed the most was the food, the music, the contagious joy in the people’s heart, and the ideal climate (a climate that is completely different from that one the we have in the Adirondacks). The Dominican Republic will always have a special place in his heart because it is his birth place, where he still has family members and friends.
I also asked him what he thought of the process of becoming an American citizen.For his family and him, the process of becoming a citizen of the United States was difficult and stressful. Once you get your green card, you have to wait five years before applying to become a citizen. You have to go through the application process for naturalization:a series of fingerprinting,biometrics appointments, photographs, interviews, a criminal background check, an English test, and a test on the history and constitution of the United States of America. He had to study a lot with his mom, and their knowledge of English was limited (although, I personally think that his English skills are improving on a daily basis). Once you successfully go through all the steps, you attend a ceremony where you take the oath and finally become a citizen.
In my own experience, becoming a US citizen is quite an accomplishment. So I asked him how he felt about it; Was he proud? Cristhian will remember this as a very big achievement in his life. He now feels that he can contribute to this great society of the United States of America.
Dear Cristhian, on behalf of Paul Smith’s College, congratulations on your achievement.
1. The House of Representatives has how many voting members?
2. Name one branch or part of the government.
3. What stops one branch of government from becoming too powerful?
4. What are two Cabinet-level positions?
5. Under our Constitution, some powers belong to the federal government. What is one power of the federal government?
Source: www.uscis.gov
Annie Rochon is an Assistant Professor of Classical and Modern Languages at Paul Smith’s College. She grew up speaking French in Montreal, Quebec, and, coming from a multicultural background, she is a strong advocate for diversity. She has a passion for language and for sharing it. She has a background in ethnolinguistics, translations, interpretation and terminology. She ardently believes that languages, travels, cultures and the beauty of cuisine will forever be intertwined. Rochon recently became a proud American citizen.