Reflections on Citizenship Part 4 — Out of Many, One

Me proudly waving an American flag after taking the oath of allegiance.

A memoir by Gabe Coronado

After this point it was just a matter of waiting 5 years until I could apply for citizenship. The wait was agonizing. I essentially spent a month and a half checking the immigration website every single day to see if they had scheduled my interview. It practically became like a religious ritual for me.

But the day that I finally saw that my interview was scheduled I was elated. My heart stopped. When the day finally arrived I went in there and passed the exams with flying colors. I have to admit that I was nervous through all of the questions they were asking me, but somehow, I made it through. 

After 20 years of being in this country, both legally and illegally, it felt like a gigantic weight had been lifted off my chest. I was finally free to pursue life, liberty, and happiness. After not really feeling like I fit in anywhere, I could finally say that I would belonged somewhere—something very different from simply residing in a place. I finally felt like I would be more accepted by the people in the place that raised me and gave me opportunities that my birth nation did not.

On June 8, 2023 I swore the oath of allegiance and officially became a citizen of the United States of America, fulfilling the spirit of America's first national motto: "e pluribus unum"—"out of many, one." 

Thank you for reading this recollection of my citizenship journey. Be on the lookout for more essays and posts from Armando and I in the future.