Reflections on «Responsibilities of Citizenship for Immigrants and our Daughter»

Reflections on «Responsibilities of Citizenship for Immigrants and our Daughter»

Eighteen years ago, on Friday, September 7th, 2001, I was honored to be asked to participate in a naturalization ceremony for 46 new citizens of the United States in a courtroom of
Judge Alvin Thompson
in Hartford, Connecticut.
I
published
those remarks on a website that has long since gone dormant.
In light of the politics of the day, I was thinking back to that ceremony and what it meant to me to participate.
I regret the corny reference to
Star Trek
, but I regret nothing else I said on that day.
I titled the remarks «Responsibilities of Citizenship for Immigrants and our Daughter».
Good afternoon. I’m honored to be here as you take your final step to become a citizen of the United States of America. My wife Celeste, who will soon give birth to another new American citizen, is here to celebrate this joyous occasion with you. And if you’ll pardon the musings of a proud soon-to-be father, I would like to share some thoughts about citizenship inspired by this ceremony and the impending arrival of our first child.
Our daughter will be a citizen by birth, but you have made a
choice
to become an American. This choice may or may not have been easy for you, but I have the utmost respect for you for making that choice.
I don’t know what compelled you to submit yourself to the naturalization process — perhaps economic, political, social, or religious reasons. I have to think that you did it to better your life and the lives of your family. But you should know that the process does not stop here.
Along with the rights of citizenship come the responsibilities expected of you. Perhaps you are more aware of these responsibilities than I given your choice to become a citizen, but please allow me to enumerate some of them. Exercise your right to be heard on matters of concern to you. Vote in every election that you can. When asked to do so, eagerly perform your duty as a member of a jury. Watch what is happening around you, and form your own opinions. Practice your religion and respect the right of others to do the same. These are the values we will try to instill in our daughter; I hope you take them to heart, instill them in your family members, and inspire your fellow citizens to do the same.
But as you take this final, formal step of citizenship, be aware that becoming an American does not mean you have to leave your native culture behind. A part of American culture is the 1960’s show
Star Trek
, which promoted the concept of IDIC:
Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations
. In that futuristic world, diverse cultures and ideas are respected with the realization that society is stronger because of them. While we cannot claim to have reached that ideal world, one can say that the American Dream is best realized when our diversity is celebrated and shared by the members of this country. My daughter will be the celebration of that diversity: the product of Irish, …