by Adeola I., Staff Writer On a regular weekend in September, while most nineteen-year olds were out indulging in various recreational activities, Elena Nourabadi was taking her naturalization exam in the hopes of officially becoming a U.S. citizen.
She was born in Khorramabad, Iran in the spring of 1998. At the age of four, her parents, who lived in the city Esfahan at the time, adopted and welcomed her into their hearts and home. After working in the United States for some time, the Nourabadis officially migrated to the United States, leaving Iran behind. Her parents were informed that they needed to re-adopt her on American soil, but due to certain circumstances, they were not able to complete this process. At the age of eighteen, she began her journey to U.S. citizenship by filing Form N-400, Application for Naturalization to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. The next step in the process required her to send in requested personal documents. She then had to get her biometrics taken, be interviewed, and take English and civics tests. The final step in the process is a ceremony in which she will take an Oath of Allegiance. (Yes, this is the real process. Want to know more? Visit www.uscis.gov.) When asked what she identifies herself as, from the options of American, Iranian-American, or other, she confidently answered, “ Iranian-American…,” she went on to explain, “... because I was born in Iran, I was raised with an Iranian culture, my parents are Iranian, my whole life has been Persian besides outside my family. That’s where the American comes in. I was raised in America, my friends are American, I talk American, I look American. ” When asked what it means to be an American, she responded, “I would say being American in this day and age means I have the right to be who I want to be, say what I want to say. In Iran there is no way I could openly speak my opinions on politics or go to the rallies and marches that I’ve been to. I have a lot more opportunities because I am American. and that's what I am most grateful for.” One virtue she expressed that was necessary over the duration of her journey to citizenship was patience. The process of naturalization is one that can take anywhere from a few months to a few years. She described how she would check the mailbox every single day to see if her interview letter had arrived. She also mentioned how expensive the process was, considering she had to file for citizenship on multiple occasions. She spoke on how her trek to citizenship, or being American, began long before she filed for naturalization. “This journey has taught me that people love paperwork,” she joked. “Most people my age just came out as American and did not have to try for any of it, but my whole life has been trying to be an American.” Learning how to fit in with Americans and remembering that many Americans do not understand the Iranian culture, or her “Persian ways,” was often very difficult. When asked how this experience sets her apart from her peers, she explained, “It makes me unique, proud of who I am. I like telling people I’m from Iran because it’s important to me. And other people like telling me about their American lives and I think that's what being American means: we all come from different places and different backgrounds and we can all still come together and be one unified group.”
2 Comments
Katelyn
9/25/2017 03:08:27 am
Loved this!!!
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Marissa
9/25/2017 07:28:03 am
beautiful!
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