Congrats, Ms. Abraham!

Last summer, I finally decided to apply for naturalization. It was long overdue. I had been reciting the pledge during the first class period for so many years that it had become second nature to me. After filing an application online and providing copies of documents such as proof of marriage and residence in MS, I was issued a date for a biometrics appointment at the federal building in Jackson. A month later, I passed an interview, again in Jackson, with an immigration officer who checked my knowledge of American government and history, and asked the same types of questions I had answered on my original application. A month later, on October 21, in New Orleans, I took the Oath of Allegiance to this country along with other permanent residents from all over the world. Close relatives were not allowed to attend the ceremony due to COVID restrictions. I did not think I would be so emotional at the ceremony but I did shed a few tears privately. It was the culmination of a long process and the sudden realization that I had become an American citizen. I now have the privilege to vote, serve on a jury, and carry an American passport when I travel abroad.

by Valerie Abraham Department of World Languages