A letter from a new American
Brooklyn: On Oct. 19, I became U.S. citizen, after living here legally for more than 25 years. I was humbled and overwhelmed. In my packet, was a letter signed by President Obama. My feelings regarding my citizenship at times are too much to quantify or adequately describe; but, I felt compelled to write a letter in response to my President’s “welcome” note to me; I know there is little chance he will ever read it or know of my gratitude, but here is some of what I wrote to him: Dear President Obama: I received your most gracious letter yesterday; thank you. I would like to thank you for your service these past eight years; I can only imagine how difficult it was at times, or how downright frustrating. Through it all however, you maintained such decorum, exercised such strength and hopefulness, maintained your integrity and was the embodiment of a loving husband and supporting and nurturing father. Mr. President, you led by example.
It would be so very easy to, given what we are being force-fed with now, compare you and your presidency with what we will be in store for for at least four years; but I will not insult you that way. From all that I have seen and for all you have done and attempted to do for us, you do not need to be that dishonored. In no way are you that good, simply by virtue of our current choices being that bad.
Yesterday, I became a citizen of the United States. Thank you for welcoming me. Thank you for the words of validation, hope and encouragement. Thank you for acknowledging and thus honoring the importance of the immigrant’s work in building and sustaining this nation. Thank you for being the kind of President that speaks words of honor and respect.
Sir, I will be the kind of citizen that will make both you and America proud. As an American, I pledge to fulfill my responsibility to vote, contribute to the economy, bear arms if called upon to do so by the government, honor through my words and actions those that have given their lives, fought and those who continue to fight to ensure not only my physical safety and freedom, but my freedom to express myself and my freedom to love whom I love. I will be the kind of citizen that recognizes and values the reality that my presence here, as a naturalized citizen could mean that resources and opportunities could have been redirected from another American of birthright. Thus, I will do my best to give back.
So sir, thank you for what you have done for my adoptive country in general and for what you have opened up for this simple girl from Trinidad in particular. Diane Wiltshire