Few U.S. citizens witness a naturalization ceremony, and that is a shame because it is one of the most incredibly patriotic moments I have ever witnessed.
My father had told me about his tests, but he had supplied scant details about being sworn in as a U.S. citizen. When my husband passed his tests, we took the train to downtown Chicago.
That day there were representatives from all continents except Antarctica waiting to get into the room. The atmosphere was jubilant anticipation. Those being sworn in were asked to go to the front of the courtroom while the rest of the audience sat in the back to witness the ceremony.
There was a hush when the judge entered the room, and when he began talking, I was very surprised because his accent was considerably thicker than my husband's. It turned out that he was originally from Lebanon. In his comments he mentioned that he too had been at his own swearing in ceremony years ago: "Only in America would someone with an accent like mine swear you in to become citizens. This is a marvelous country."
And then this diverse collection of people raised their hands and swore allegiance to the United States. There was enormous pride in that room as this heterogenous group promised fidelity to a country not of their birth but of their choosing. At that moment there was no need to make America great again because it already was.
I’m Frances Jaeger, and that’s my Perspective.
