Naturalization: benefits and limitations

[Kinito_2k3 5]

I got married 3 years after coming to the U.S. My wife is American, and that's what I used to tell everyone who would ask me “where’s is your wife from?” One day a coworker told me that it doesn’t make sense to say that. The right thing to say would be “she’s a white girl from Missouri”

In another conversation I said this to a white coworker, we were talking about race:

Well it doesn’t make sense to say that someone is American, it goes further than that. You have to say if you are white, black , hispanic etc. To which he replied: “Well I’m an American” Then I said: what if I become an American?

Another coworker (not from the U.S) asked HOW THE HELL ARE YOU GONNA DO THAT?. My answer: I’ll get naturalized in a few months! They said: you’ll still be from you country, a U.S citizen, but not really an American.

I ended the conversation saying: well at least my kids will be Americans!

I’m proud of where I am, I don’t have a problem with that. Somehow I thought that getting naturalized would make me an American, but this is not 100% true. My grandfather was from Spain, and he was naturalized in my country, but “he was always from Spain”.

Its all so funny and confusing at the same time, when you get naturalized you become a "Citizen", Citizen of where? America ofcourse!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. Now whats the difference between an "American" and an "American Citizen", on paper, absolutely no difference.

But in our everyday lives we know thats not the case, we now talk of natural born Americans, Naturalized Americans and all kinds of definitions of Americans, which, under the constitution all have the same rights and priviledges (except if you want to go into politics ofcourse and thats for the presidency).

I think that it's a good point. I will always be French even if I become a US citizen - I believe that being "American" or "French" or "Irish" or "National X" is far more complex than having a legal status - there is a notion being part of a social group, embracing norms, identify to a particular culture.

In addition, in my mind one should be proud from his background - I don't think that I will ever forget to mention my origins, that's because I will be naturalized.

My point is that the citizenship is a condition for being an American, but is far from being sufficiant

Do I make sense? haha

[Italian_in_NYC 259]

I don't understand the problem.

First of all, even after I naturalize, I will always be an Italian and proud to be one. Being a USC is just another immigration (the ultimate one) status.

Where am I from? I always say from Milan and people were never discriminatory.

Nobody should be ashamed of their origin and even if we are citizen, we are always from somewhere else.

[Kinito_2k3 5]

I don't understand the problem.

First of all, even after I naturalize, I will always be an Italian and proud to be one. Being a USC is just another immigration (the ultimate one) status.

Where am I from? I always say from Milan and people were never discriminatory.

Nobody should be ashamed of their origin and even if we are citizen, we are always from somewhere else.

[Italian_in_NYC 259]

I don't understand the problem.

First of all, even after I naturalize, I will always be an Italian and proud to be one. Being a USC is just another immigration (the ultimate one) status.

Where am I from? I always say from Milan and people were never discriminatory.

Nobody should be ashamed of their origin and even if we are citizen, we are always from somewhere else.

Actually, saying I was an Italian always was a plus while I was single, if you know what I mean

My wife, who came here at age 9 and is white with absolutely no foreign accent, still says she's Russian!

[Kinito_2k3 5]

I don't understand the problem.

First of all, even after I naturalize, I will always be an Italian and proud to be one. Being a USC is just another immigration (the ultimate one) status.

Where am I from? I always say from Milan and people were never discriminatory.

Nobody should be ashamed of their origin and even if we are citizen, we are always from somewhere else.

Actually, saying I was an Italian always was a plus while I was single, if you know what I mean

My wife, who came here at age 9 and is white with absolutely no foreign accent, still says she's Russian!

I completely get what you mean I think that our respective nationalities are actually good ones to have haha for many reasons

[NickD 202]

I don't understand the problem.

First of all, even after I naturalize, I will always be an Italian and proud to be one. Being a USC is just another immigration (the ultimate one) status.

Where am I from? I always say from Milan and people were never discriminatory.

Nobody should be ashamed of their origin and even if we are citizen, we are always from somewhere else.

I feel you should be neither proud nor ashamed of your heritage as you had nothing to do with this. What you should be proud or ashamed of, is what you are doing with your life, that you have some control over.

[Italian_in_NYC 259]

I don't understand the problem.

First of all, even after I naturalize, I will always be an Italian and proud to be one. Being a USC is just another immigration (the ultimate one) status.

Where am I from? I always say from Milan and people were never discriminatory.

Nobody should be ashamed of their origin and even if we are citizen, we are always from somewhere else.

I feel you should be neither proud nor ashamed of your heritage as you had nothing to do with this. What you should be proud or ashamed of, is what you are doing with your life, that you have some control over.

That's right.

But I feel that many people make a big deal out of being "American" (hey, don't get me wrong, I love this country and it gave me invaluable opportunities) or get offended when asked where they are from.

Let's chill, enjoy, and most of all keep (when allowed) our previous citizenship and give it to our kids as well.

[NickD 202]

I don't understand the problem.

First of all, even after I naturalize, I will always be an Italian and proud to be one. Being a USC is just another immigration (the ultimate one) status.

Where am I from? I always say from Milan and people were never discriminatory.

Nobody should be ashamed of their origin and even if we are citizen, we are always from somewhere else.

I feel you should be neither proud nor ashamed of your heritage as you had nothing to do with this. What you should be proud or ashamed of, is what you are doing with your life, that you have some control over.

That's right.

But I feel that many people make a big deal out of being "American" (hey, don't get me wrong, I love this country and it gave me invaluable opportunities) or get offended when asked where they are from.

Let's chill, enjoy, and most of all keep (when allowed) our previous citizenship and give it to our kids as well.

We are suppose to be a big melting pot where people come here for freedom, losing that freedom should be of most concern to all. After my accident, the two doctors that really stand out in my mind, one was from China, the other from India, they did me the most good. Maybe it's because since they are minorities living in practically an all white area, they try a lot harder, but we have idiots here that won't even give them a chance, because of their heritage. But those idiots are hurting themselves.

[Italian_in_NYC 259]

I don't understand the problem.

First of all, even after I naturalize, I will always be an Italian and proud to be one. Being a USC is just another immigration (the ultimate one) status.

Where am I from? I always say from Milan and people were never discriminatory.

Nobody should be ashamed of their origin and even if we are citizen, we are always from somewhere else.

I feel you should be neither proud nor ashamed of your heritage as you had nothing to do with this. What you should be proud or ashamed of, is what you are doing with your life, that you have some control over.

That's right.

But I feel that many people make a big deal out of being "American" (hey, don't get me wrong, I love this country and it gave me invaluable opportunities) or get offended when asked where they are from.

Let's chill, enjoy, and most of all keep (when allowed) our previous citizenship and give it to our kids as well.

We are suppose to be a big melting pot where people come here for freedom, losing that freedom should be of most concern to all.

I didn't come here for freedom (which thankfully I already had), just for my career and for New York City (I would NOT live anywhere else in the US).