Interview
Everybody has a dream to become something great, whether it be a six year old wanting to become a princesses or a twenty year old wanting to become a part of the United States and even though everybody is different, they all have dreams to become something great, or even live somewhere different. When learning about the naturalization process, the outlook of it is extremely large and a way to narrow that outlook is to interview somebody who actually experienced this process for themselves, from filling out an application to taking the Oath of Loyalty. This Experience was unforgettable for Juana Perez one he shared with such passion with every detail. When being interviewed Juana had the look of succession in his eyes, I could personal feel how much getting naturalized meant to him as a young man. When starting the interview, Mr. Perez appeared to be surprised when I had asked him “what inspired you to become a U.S. citizen?” “When you’re a young boy, and grow up with your own mother having such difficulties supporting you, you want to strive to become something great even if that means leaving your lifestyle behind to make better for your family and yourself.”
Following up with the next question I asked Mr. Perez what steps he had to take as a part of the naturalization process. When Mr. Perez came to the United States for the first time when he was Twenty years old to work in as a migrant worker in San Diego California he met an American woman that he said “was the most beautiful woman I have ever seen, when it came time for me to go back to Mexico, I held her in my arms while she sobbed about my going away, I promised her my heart along with my return as an American.” It took Mr. Perez about Three years to finish the naturalization process, he remembers filling out the application and rereading over every question nervously because he wanted to become an American. That had been his dream since he was a little boy and his hopes of becoming an American returned more fiercely when he had to leave California.
Becoming an American Citizen has changed Mr. Perez life in an amazing way, throughout this interview I can feel the passion and contentment in his life now that he has become an American. He referred to his childhood as, “the best it could be, but I knew in my heart as young boy growing up in Mexico that I wanted more for my family and for myself, am I sad that my children don’t have the value of a true Mexican religion well yes, but I am more happy about the thought that here in American my children have more opportunities than they ever would have if I would’ve stayed in Mexico, not only is my daily life different but my life all around is different, it was a feeling of pure rejoice being told that I am an American Citizen.” Mr. Perez would be more than willing to return back to Mexico and go through the process again because, he is more than happy here in America and he wouldn’t have “the love of his life if he hadn’t of done and go through that ruling process.”
Everybody is different in their own ways, whether it be in hair color, skin color, or what they believe in. From a six year old little girl wanting to be princess to a grown man just wanting to be a part of American, our dreams and hopes for ourselves change just like our appearance. I ended our interview with Mr. Perez by asking him the finial question, “is American everything you hoped it would be?” With every memoire of having to leave the love of his life to going through the naturalization process Mr. Perez said “American is everything and more of what I had hoped for.”