Road to Naturalization Text Version
Today is an exciting day. It's the day my parents will be sworn in as United States citizens.
They arrived in the United States 15 years ago, before I was born.
In the United States, there are two ways to become a citizen. You are already a citizen by birth,
like me, if you were born in the United States, or you can become naturalized, like my parents.
Naturalization is how an immigrant can legally become a citizen. It requires several steps.
First, you must be at least 18 years old. Second, you must have established permanent
residency. To do that, you must live in the United States for at least five years. Or three, if you
are married to a citizen.
My parents went to our local Citizenship and Naturalization Services office to apply.
The application process is really long. My parents had to provide photographs and documents
that proved their age and residency status. They also had to be fingerprinted. My parents spent
a lot of time studying English, U.S. history, and civics. Then it was time for their interview. They
answered questions about their background and explained why they wanted to become U.S.
citizens. After the interview, they took a test to show all they had learned about the history and
government of our country. And guess what? THEY PASSED!
I'm so proud of my parents and their hard work. As naturalized citizens, they now have all the
rights and responsibilities that every U.S. citizen has.
Whenever I sing "The Star-Spangled Banner," I will remember this day and think about how
proud I am to be an American!
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