Friday, March 11, 2005
On this day:
I'm all US of A
On Thursday, the 10th of March, I swore my devotion, pledged my allegiance to the United States of America. Now I'm officially a citizen of this land of ours.
The day was quite a spectacle. The ceremony took place at Masonic Auditorium in San Francisco. When I got there, I was asked to see my Alien Registration Card and told which section to sit. When I got to the door, it was requested I hand over my card. I handed it to the man, was told to take my seat, and he promptly walked away with my card. I never felt so naked, without the identification card that had identified me as a foreigner all these years. Where was he going to with that card of mine? What does he plan to do with it? How is he going to find me to hand it back to me among all these people? I sat anxiously, fidgetting endlessly.
I was running a bit late. The ceremony had already started. They had welcomed everyone here and started on the March of American Flag, or something like it.
Previously on Tuesday, I had a chat with my cousin Susan, who also immigrated here and now an US citizen. She now sports an US passport. She related me a story she had when she was applying for a visa to China. Her US passport used to list her birth country as Taiwan, but China wouldn't grant her entry into China with that because it doesn't recognize Taiwan as a country. She was so mad, but she ended up changing it to China. I guess I won't be going to China anytime soon, unless they change their policy. Yeah, I'm kind of stubborn like that. They can't take away my birth right.
The Master of Ceremony was applauding everyone for taking this important step to becoming an United States of America citizen. There were 1388 of us from a total of 108 countries. For a lot of the audieneces, it has meant a life-long goal, a dream come true. For a lot of these people, it also meant they can start the long process of getting all their family members to immigrate here. There was a certain vibe in the air, I couldn't deny the energy and felt swept up by the significance of it all. The MC really tried to make this a meaningful and dignified event. He would have called up each of us to hand us our certificate, but with this many people, it was not feasible. So instead, he called each country, alphabetically, and have us stand as our countries were called. Now the "A's" and "B's" were mostly some obscure countries. I must say I was surprised to see people from Australia and Canada. What in god's name would you want to be here? I want to be there, not here. When he called China, about a fourth of the room stood up. Now, from the Tuesday conversation I had with Susan, I'm sitting there, racing cross my mind, was "I'm not standing up for China. I'm not standing up for China. He better call Taiwan. He better call Taiwan. Or else... or else, I'll... I'll, I don't know what I'll do. Interesting enough, he called out Hong Kong. Hong Kong was never a country. I'm wondering how many people from China was really for Hong Kong. I had to anxiously wait until "T". At long last he called Taiwan. And let me tell you this, I have never stood prouder as a Taiwanese at that particular moment.
One of the thing that always held me back from applying for citizenship is the fact that the government required me to denounce my birth country and pledge my sole allegiance to United States. I've always felt as if I'm turning my back on a custom, culture and heritage. Never did I expect that I couldn't have celebrated my heritage anymore than that day, standing there as a Taiwanese. Who would have know that I was able to celebrate my heritage as I become an US citizen.
On Friday, my freelance customer, Nancy unexpectedly send a huge flower bouquet to the office, and my boss went out and bought a cake to celebrate the event too. Next weekend, Kelli, Brian, Bob, Yvette, Maribel and Steve are throwing me a dinner at Kelli's house to celebrate also. I'm forever grateful to all these friends for making it to be a big deal for me. The significance of becoming an US citizen might have escaped me without all these.
Yes, it is a big deal. Yes, I'm an American. No, I'm still every part as Taiwanese as before. My status has changed, but I have not. I know, still stubborn in my own ways, only now, it's about other things.
The day was quite a spectacle. The ceremony took place at Masonic Auditorium in San Francisco. When I got there, I was asked to see my Alien Registration Card and told which section to sit. When I got to the door, it was requested I hand over my card. I handed it to the man, was told to take my seat, and he promptly walked away with my card. I never felt so naked, without the identification card that had identified me as a foreigner all these years. Where was he going to with that card of mine? What does he plan to do with it? How is he going to find me to hand it back to me among all these people? I sat anxiously, fidgetting endlessly.
I was running a bit late. The ceremony had already started. They had welcomed everyone here and started on the March of American Flag, or something like it.
Previously on Tuesday, I had a chat with my cousin Susan, who also immigrated here and now an US citizen. She now sports an US passport. She related me a story she had when she was applying for a visa to China. Her US passport used to list her birth country as Taiwan, but China wouldn't grant her entry into China with that because it doesn't recognize Taiwan as a country. She was so mad, but she ended up changing it to China. I guess I won't be going to China anytime soon, unless they change their policy. Yeah, I'm kind of stubborn like that. They can't take away my birth right.
The Master of Ceremony was applauding everyone for taking this important step to becoming an United States of America citizen. There were 1388 of us from a total of 108 countries. For a lot of the audieneces, it has meant a life-long goal, a dream come true. For a lot of these people, it also meant they can start the long process of getting all their family members to immigrate here. There was a certain vibe in the air, I couldn't deny the energy and felt swept up by the significance of it all. The MC really tried to make this a meaningful and dignified event. He would have called up each of us to hand us our certificate, but with this many people, it was not feasible. So instead, he called each country, alphabetically, and have us stand as our countries were called. Now the "A's" and "B's" were mostly some obscure countries. I must say I was surprised to see people from Australia and Canada. What in god's name would you want to be here? I want to be there, not here. When he called China, about a fourth of the room stood up. Now, from the Tuesday conversation I had with Susan, I'm sitting there, racing cross my mind, was "I'm not standing up for China. I'm not standing up for China. He better call Taiwan. He better call Taiwan. Or else... or else, I'll... I'll, I don't know what I'll do. Interesting enough, he called out Hong Kong. Hong Kong was never a country. I'm wondering how many people from China was really for Hong Kong. I had to anxiously wait until "T". At long last he called Taiwan. And let me tell you this, I have never stood prouder as a Taiwanese at that particular moment.
One of the thing that always held me back from applying for citizenship is the fact that the government required me to denounce my birth country and pledge my sole allegiance to United States. I've always felt as if I'm turning my back on a custom, culture and heritage. Never did I expect that I couldn't have celebrated my heritage anymore than that day, standing there as a Taiwanese. Who would have know that I was able to celebrate my heritage as I become an US citizen.
On Friday, my freelance customer, Nancy unexpectedly send a huge flower bouquet to the office, and my boss went out and bought a cake to celebrate the event too. Next weekend, Kelli, Brian, Bob, Yvette, Maribel and Steve are throwing me a dinner at Kelli's house to celebrate also. I'm forever grateful to all these friends for making it to be a big deal for me. The significance of becoming an US citizen might have escaped me without all these.
Yes, it is a big deal. Yes, I'm an American. No, I'm still every part as Taiwanese as before. My status has changed, but I have not. I know, still stubborn in my own ways, only now, it's about other things.
