All Americans
Naturalized citizens in central Ohio feel sense of pride, belonging on Fourth of July
Gricy Garcia moved from the Dominican Republic to Columbus 17 years ago in search of family and better opportunity.
She found both, and,
since arriving, celebrating Independence Day has been a key way she has shown pride in and unity with her adopted country.
But this year, things will be different. It will be her first
Fourth as a U.S. citizen after being naturalized in August.
“Now, I can vote and have my opinion count,” the 47-year-old Westerville resident said. “This country has given me so many opportunities. I have work here, and I was able to own a home.”
Although today’s politics are characterized by divisiveness and debates over who should be permitted into the country, Garcia is one of the area’s numerous naturalized citizens who wear their national pride on their sleeves.
Consider Jhuma Acharya. The 40-year-old native of Bhutan lived in a refugee camp in Nepal before resettling here at the encouragement of a relative. A former teacher, the Blacklick resident now works as a case manager for Community Refugee and Immigration Services in the resettlement department, helping others like himself.
Acharya said that moving to America opened his eyes to greater opportunity. Living here, he said, lets his voice be heard and gives him the freedom to exercise his rights. His family had to flee Bhutan and spent years in refugee camps, where there was a scarcity of resources.
“Here, I can work and make money and plan an education for my family,”
he said. “That means a lot to me, because it has opened my eyes and given me a second life.”
Though Acharya has celebrated Independence Day every year, he said he felt like he was a part of the crowd marching in parades when he became a U.S. citizen in December 2017.
“I have a better sense of belonging,” he said. “I feel like I belong to this place.”
Chandra Rayala, 55, is originally from India and worked for Chase as a consultant in Barbados before he came to the United States in 2001 to live in the state of Delaware. He relocated to central Ohio in 2005 for his job.
Rayala and his wife became U.S. citizens in 2012.
“Taking the oath in front of the judge was new for us,” Rayala recalled. “But afterwards we felt great and proud.”
Early in his family’s time in America, they mostly celebrated Independence Day for the fireworks. But eventually, the holiday accrued more meaning — so much so that he encouraged his community’s organizations, such as the Sri Saibaba Temple of Ohio in Lewis Center, to participate in a local parade.
“We want to be involved or engaged in whatever we have,” Rayala said. “We used to watch the parade, and now we are participating in it.”
Sowdo Mohamud knew as soon as she stepped off a plane in Columbus in 2012 that she was home.
Mohamud said she fled her home country of Somalia in 2009 after getting kicked out by an extremist group that disapproved of her and her colleagues as journalists.
Mohamud traveled to Kenya, where she lived for five months before moving to South Africa. There, she freelanced as a broadcaster for the Voice of America and reported on the 2010 World Cup.
“I went to a lot of games, including the United States playing against Slovenia,” said Mohamud, 30. “It was a great experience.”
Mohamud made the move to Columbus after meeting an Ohio State University student during her time in Africa who told her great things about the Buckeye State and suggested she apply to come to the United States through the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. After telling her story through the UNHCR, Mohamud was accepted to move to the U.S. in in 2012.
“I wasn’t sure where the journey would end, either in going back to Somalia or somewhere else,” she said. “The day I came to Columbus, I knew I was done.”
Adjusting to Columbus was no problem for Mohamud, who said she appreciates how diverse the city is with all of its ethnic restaurants that can help people experience their home country’s food without having to travel back for it. Mohamud also works for Community Refugee and Immigration Services with Acharya.
“I love this community,” she said. “It is so outgoing, and everybody is welcoming.”
Although Mohamud’s American pride runs strong, she also acknowledges the country has its flaws. When President Donald Trump signed an executive order restricting travel to the United States from certain nations, she said she was devastated because her home country of Somalia was one of the countries affected.
“I encourage people in Columbus to go out and support refugee programs because that helps people so much in Columbus, including myself,” she said.
Mohamud became a citizen in January 2018, and she was particularly proud to be able to vote for the first time that same year. But she said she has always felt like an American at heart throughout her 6½ years living in Columbus.
“I am proud to be a Muslim. I am proud to be a Somalian. I am proud to be an American,” Mohamud said. “I am proud to be a Buckeye.”