Great to be USC - Is it worth the effort?

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firstimmigrant

Registered Users (C)
Great to be USC. We all go through a lot of effort to be USC, just wanted to see what other's think is it worth all this effort?
 
The effort is not filing the N-400. The effort is taking the time (3 or 5 years minimum) to be a productive, law abiding, etc, etc person (pre-citizen?) , crossing all the T's and dotting all the i's, etc...

What is it worth? To some, it may be something tangible, like being able to sponsor a carload of relatives, or travel around the world for 80 days without visas, or some other convenience. There should (hopefully) be a lot more than this involved, but that's up to the individual to decide.
 
Yeah, come on, what kind of question is that? Is going to Disneyland worth it? Not for me. But I think having a US passport is great, especially since I'm an asylee and, technically, have no country that will protect me at this time. I cannot wait for my US passport. Let's hope I get it by this summer.
 
firstimmigrant said:
Great to be USC. We all go through a lot of effort to be USC, just wanted to see what other's think is it worth all this effort?
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Once you are a citizen, you will feel "equal" to every man,woman, child walking on the street. You wont be harrassed or singled out at any entry line or Immigration benefit. You can walk proud that you have a say who gets to stand up in the Congress or at the White House.

It feels better than I thought it would for me ;)
 
wantmygcnow said:
Once you are a citizen, you will feel "equal" to every man,woman, child walking on the street. ... You can walk proud that you have a say who gets to stand up in the Congress or at the White House.
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I guess it depends on each person. I felt quite equal to the people on the street even while I was on GC. Usual Americans will not stop treating you like a foreigner because you will not flash your US passport every time you talk to someone. Some people still ask me where I am from and when I am going to go back home :D

Personally, the most I cherish about my US citizenship is the ability to participate in the political life of the country and to live here without being worried about immigration aspects. Being able to travel to many countries without a visa is a definite advantage of the US citizenship as well.

So, in my opinion, being a US citizen is definitely worth the effort.
 
I don't think naturalization is such a big effort compared to other immigration related effort (one doesn't have to pass a medical for example). Most of the effort is done by USCIS in name check, the only work one needs to do is in filling out the N-400, the fingerprints, and the interview. I am not forgetting the oath ceremony, but I don't consider that effort, but the icing on the cake, the light at the end of the tunnel. Anyway, I think it is well worth the effort. Furthermore, on hindsight it doesn't feel like much effort at all. Preparing the questions for the interview was easier than preparing for the drivers license exam, and as I knew ahead of time what I needed to put on N-400 I had a good record of trips and other information so filling out the N-400 wasn't hard at all.

My 2 cents.
 
yes

only if you compare yourself to the people who arrived in USA from boats in Ellis Island.

only if you fight for human rights.

Only if you have the guts to represent yourself in the US court of law to fight for human rights.

Only if you stand for human values.
 
Since this thread is drawing a more profound type of commentary than I originally expected, it was intended in the broader context: Personal sacrifices and time we spend away from our loved ones especially our parents.

I love United States and proud to be citizen! Thanks for your input!
 
Not necessarily "equal", I may say. American-born citizens will usually tend to distinguish you by your accent or other things. Asian-Americans, Mexican-Americans, or other-Americans have their own unique american accent if they live here since birth. And they can still be easily recognized as a US citizen. Naturalized citizens are more likely to spend a great number of time of their life in their native land, and therefore, no matter how they speak, they still carry out their accent.

My friend in college is a naturalized citizen, but other students who are not aware of his status still consider him as an international student because of his thick accent. And as one of the postings said, the country of origin question always comes up.

But, they both do share the same rights and privileges as US citizen.
I, too, am proud to be a US citizen and it's worth the effort.
 
DulyNoted said:
Not necessarily "equal", I may say. American-born citizens will usually tend to distinguish you by your accent or other things. Asian-Americans, Mexican-Americans, or other-Americans have their own unique american accent if they live here since birth. And they can still be easily recognized as a US citizen. Naturalized citizens are more likely to spend a great number of time of their life in their native land, and therefore, no matter how they speak, they still carry out their accent.

My friend in college is a naturalized citizen, but other students who are not aware of his status still consider him as an international student because of his thick accent. And as one of the postings said, the country of origin question always comes up.

But, they both do share the same rights and privileges as US citizen.
I, too, am proud to be a US citizen and it's worth the effort.
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...and I know of people who were born in the US, (to foreign parents) then left when they were very young and have now come back to work in the US...

Anyone want to hazard a guess whether these people are considered 'immigrants' until thyey produce a birth certificate/passport.

(There'll be another batch coming back about 15 years from now - the US born kids of all the people who left due to the current economic downturn)
 
The terms "American" and "US citizen" are often used interchangeably on this forum, but to native-born Americans they are not the same. In a cultural sense, most of us will not be recognised as "Americans" by the mainstream native-born American folks (WASPs, if you will). And those who try so hard to assimilate and distance themselves from their countries of origin will never succeed in the eyes of mainstream American folks while losing respect from their compatriots.
 
I believe the effort of assimilation is relative to each applicant's individual needs. I disagree that assimilation comes at the cost of losing respect from one's compatriots.

König said:
And those who try so hard to assimilate and distance themselves from their countries of origin will never succeed in the eyes of mainstream American folks while losing respect from their compatriots.
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I see we start spending a lot of time on the questions whether or not one should become USC which is fine.

At the end of day, it is personal choice and each individual circumstances are different. There are some benefits under law (voting, to be elected to federal roles, travel protection and convenience when overseas, federal employment, defense related work , etc) and practical considerations (relocation, living abroad, sponsorship to other family members, )

After all, this should be done under free will. None push someone to come and live in this great country, US. If you like it more and wish to enjoy more benefits in US, then become USC. If not, you can still live and enjoy the existing benefits for LPR.
 
König said:
The terms "American" and "US citizen" are often used interchangeably on this forum, but to native-born Americans they are not the same. In a cultural sense, most of us will not be recognised as "Americans" by the mainstream native-born American folks (WASPs, if you will). And those who try so hard to assimilate and distance themselves from their countries of origin will never succeed in the eyes of mainstream American folks while losing respect from their compatriots.
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When I came to the US back in the very early 80's the only 'assimilation' questions I had were (to a very pretty US Army enlisted young lady sitting next to me) why do you enlist in the Army voluntarily (I did not know about the GI Bill and the benefits, fresh off the plane) and why do you have stores open 24/7. These were literally the only two assimilation issues I had to work on :) coming from a Western Europe country with conscription and store hours not much better than banking hours.

Fast forward 30 years later and I have the (fully American, devilishly long last name and all) teenagers in high school, playing PTO Dad, house in suburbia, obligatory furry pets, etc, and I really have not had to adjust my cultural expectations (or reduce my accent :eek:). Do I feel like I 'fit in' compared to others?

It's all relative. 30 years ago in Indiana you'd go to the grocery store and see 'Dog Food, Cat Food, Ethnic Food' all in the same aisle. Now you can buy Indian, Chinese, or any other nationality foods in a bewildering variety. So, did 'we' acclimate, or did 'they' adjust? A lot of both.

I do not think we are expected to become the next June and Ward Cleavers. We will be hypenated Americans, but this will only continue to add to the strength of the mix overall.

Our children will take over from us, and they, too, will likely be considered hypenated Americans (as they should). Heck, my children are double hypenated :)

If that does not meet the 'approval' of compatriots from our birth country, so be it. We can't be the Cleavers, but we won't be District 9, either.

Happy New Year!
 
PerpetualGC, I agree with you. Last year I travelled to my country of origin after 8 years of living in the USA, and I noticed how much I became accustomed to US way of life. I try to preserve my ethnic identity, but I am slowly becoming a hyphenated American nonetheless :) After I came back from that trip, I realised that the US is my country... so I filed N-400 soon afterwards.

Happy New Year to all!
 
To properly address the question " Was the effort worth becoming a U.S. citizen?", it is essential that we contemplate what Konig defines as "mainstream" Americans.

Are White Anglo Saxon Protestants (WASPs) "mainstream" Americans? That's definitely an obsolete and tunnel visioned view of this society. WASPish ideals, no longer define who and what we are as Americans. As for the "natural born" Americans, most of them identify strongly with their cultural roots, hence, terms like "Italian-American", " Korean-American", "Irish-American", "Chinese-American", "Japanese-American" and so forth.

Accents? What accents? Arnold Schwartzenegger, accent and all, became a huge movie star, married a Kennedy and became the Governor of California. Albert Einsten, Time magazine's "Person Of The Century", never lost his accent, while he turned the scientific world upside down, as a Naturalized Citizen. Alejandro Mayorkas, the Director of the USCIS, is a Naturalized Cuban. Naturalized Americans, have, are and will always make valuable contributions to the U.S.

Personally, I believe that the cultural and racial landscape of the U.S.A. is constantly evolving. A type of "cross pollination" of cultures defines the NEW Americans. No offence or disrespect to Konig, but I don't agree that the term "mainstream American" even exists anymore. This generation of Americans views sushi as their patriotic dish, as much as the older generations viewed theirs to be apple pie. Soccer ( a sport that is an import , called "football" in other continents) is hands down, the favorite community sport. Just ask all the mini-van driving soccer moms and dads across the U.S.

The old vanguard has long disappeared, or else Barak Obama would never have been elected President. He is proof positive that American society is Amoebic at best, constantly changing. There is no definitive shape to the U.S.'s social metarmorphosis.

In truth and reality, the original Americans are the Native Americans (Indians), and everybody else, is really an immigrant.

I hope what most postings on this thread, are referring to when they mention "assimilation", is adding their unique and valuable cultural experiences from various countries, and contributing to the ever expanding landscape of America, and not stripping themselves of their identity, in a futile bid to be "accepted" as Americans?

The culturally diversity of the U.S. is her greatest strength. No other country in the world has managed to create such a dynamic "melting pot" that functions as "the land of the free, and the home of the brave". No other "diverse" country , comes together in times of crisis to unite, and defend her way of life. No other "diverse" country, will use it's reasonable available resources, to come to the aid of ANY of her citizens (including those that have chosen to naturalize) in distress or danger and outside of her borders.

Rekhamani's point is profound. The "gift", responsibility and privilege of U.S. Citizenship, should not be taken lightly. U.S. citizenship gives everyone that possesses it, a global voice. Using it for the greater good of all law abiding and peace loving people, is an honor.

America is a brave and noble venture into freedom and democracy, built on a foundation of diversity. The founding fathers, though far from imperfect, laid a visionary foundation, of the kind of society, that would have pillars of justice, freedom, equality, prosperity and hope.

To be a "true" American, is to represent to the rest of the world, what it means to be a HUMAN BEING, regardless of race, color or creed. To understand that underneath it all, we are really the same, and ought to treat each other with respect and compassion. Has that concept been actualized to perfection? Of course not, but we all have to keep working at it.

"All people are created equal, with inalienable rights" and "All people have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of personal happiness". This is what the U.S. means to me, and being an American and being a U.S. Citizen, are one and the same, to me. Considering all the benefits of U.S. Citizenship, to me, it is well worth the journey. HAPPY , PROSPEROUS AND SAFE NEW YEAR TO EVERYBODY.
 
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Appreciate everyone for taking time and sharing their valuable input. This thread is evident of what is great about America, our values but most importantly, spirit of our citizens.... Sometime you don't see these reflected in our business world and how we treat the weakest of all but i firmly believe that our good days are ahead of us where we treat every human with dignity and respect, treat sick and not care about insurance plans and bring prosperity to all humanity!

I would like to wish everyone a safe and prosperous 2010.
 
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Asorock said:
No offence or disrespect to Konig, but I don't agree that the term "mainstream American" even exists anymore.
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No offence taken, Asorock. I may agree with 95% of your post... or rather essay ;) However, the USA is a very large and diverse country, and to project the vision of your NEW America onto the entire nation would not do justice. For those immigrants who ended up in the area also known as Bible-belt or Jesusland, such terms as accent and "mainstream American" may all be to real to dismiss completely. I am talking from my perspective. And what local folks from my area call assimilation may not convey the same meaning as what you define to be assimilation.

I think that it is important to mention that I do not disagree with you but merely point out that different people will have different vision of America. When you ask average people from Midwest and San Francisco what America means to them, their answers might be significantly different. Should we just ignore the difference in their opinion and declare the USA to be "this" or to be "that"? Especially at this point when the society is extremely polarised?

Even when you ask immigrants what America means to them, the answers will be different as well. For those who were persecuted in their native countries and who found refuge in the USA, America will indeed be "the land of the free". For those immigrants who chose to live here because of other conveniences, the term "freedom" may not sound important at all. Again, can we try to average-out their perceptions of America? We simply cannot do it. Nor should we. America is a very complex term, and I think we cannot objectively define this term as you attempted to do.

However, being able to respectfully disagree with your opponent is the key component of a civilised society which America definitely represents :)
 
Konig,

I respond, with utmost respect. Really, though, if all the U.S. means to some people is hamburgers, baseball and Mickey Mouse, that's perfectly fine. To ME, having lived here for almost 30 years, and having seen America go through different social transformations, I see it totally differently.

Your response to my reply, only butresses my point, that you (Konig) ought not to "define" what America thinks or feels, as it is impossible to do so. I don't comprehend how you can deduce from my words, a definitve opinion of America. If anything, it was an attempt to revisit what the founders of this great country had in mind, and how far American society has come (through a maze of social issues) and how much further we have to go, to realize the ideals of The Declaration Of Independence and the U.S. Constitution, both of which, in MY OPINION, far supercede, what our individual or collective opinions are. The founding fathers created both, knowing fully well, that there is no end to people's opinions or their insistence to exist with others, based on their OWN idea of what LAW is.

Please read my reply carefully. My "essay" (according to you) :D was largely in response to you imposing what YOUR DEFINITION of "mainstream America" is. Well in other not to disappoint, here's another "essay" :D But, please, don't "flip the script", and make it seem as if forcing anyone to accept my opinionated view was my objective.

I do not deny anyone the right to express their opinions (it's called freedom of speech), however, what is the purpose of this particular thread? Unless, I am missing something in the translation, it is to permit users of this forum, to express and post their PERSONAL views and opinions of whether or not, becoming a U.S. Citizen, was worth the effort. Referencing other people's opposing thoughts to support one's view is, democratically essential, wouldn't you agree?

Plus, in my earlier reply, I clearly said that "the U.S. landscape is Amoebic at best, constantly changing, with no difinitive shape". Now Konig, maybe I'm missing something, but that sounds,to me, to be an implicit acknowledgement that diversity does exist in the U.S., making it difficult to assign what in YOUR OPINION constitutes "mainstream America". I have at no time attempted to define what "mainstream America" is, have I? On the contrary, I presented an argument, that the U.S. , because of its vast diversity, apart from her sense of justice and equality (for the most part), is impossible to define. Perhaps, it is this lack of a clear definition, that makes the U.S. the successful experiment in democracy and freedom, it has become. The willingness to think "outside the box", is America's secret.

I simply challenged , or rather, cautioned, anyone's quickness to rush to any definitive assessment of what America is. I have been fortunate and blessed enough to travel the world since I was a little child, and all I know is that "underneath it ALL", differing cultures or not, we are ALL the same". That's MY OPINION.

Some may choose to retain medieval attitudes of superiority or entitlement, but times HAVE changed, and whether or not they live in the Bible belt or tranquil leafy surburbs of America's cities, the overwhelming and unstoppable winds of change are upon us. I borrow the eternal words from "The Wizard of Oz"......."Dorothy, you're not in Kansas anymore" :D

In conclusion, in a discussion forum (such as this one) meant for IMMIGRANTS, how can the views be similar to those of natural-born citizens, who never have to experience the diverse emotions that MOST immigrants go through? The Declaration Of Independence and the U.S. Constitution are the two documents that make it attractive for ME to become a U.S. Citizen. I do not speak for anyone else.

If my plea that we serve each other (natural born citizens and fellow immigrants alike) with generous helpings of humanity and compassion, is seen as attempting to "define" America, then I stand accused.
 
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