Some personal news:
🎶This land is your land, this land is my land🎶
🎶This land is your land, this land is my land🎶
I'll have more to say later. I've lived here for three decades, but didn't naturalize earlier in part out of a kind cosmopolitan privilege and reticence to surrender my Indian citizenship (India does not allow dual-nationality). But this is my home, who I am and where I belong.
The ceremony, held in a high court near the supreme court, was deeply beautiful and emotional. The judge and speakers, most of whom were also naturalized citizens, spoke of our bonds of solidarity and civic duty, of America's imperfection and our potential to realize its promise.
It made me really proud to be an American.
PS. There were 120 people who naturalized alongside me. They came from at least three dozen different countries by my count. The presiding federal judge, Amit Mehta, came from the same kind of Gujarati-American community as my wife @bhumikatharoor, who was in attendance.
PPS. Anyone here naturalize under the Obama administration? Would love to compare the letters the presidents send new citizens.
So touched by all the kind responses (and apologies if I haven't been able to thank you directly). These ceremonies are powerful rites of civic patriotism (NOT blood and soil nationalism); I hope all US citizens, even those born here, get to attend or participate in one.
And, yes, I've already registered to vote.
