Thread: Eight-year dream of citzenship finally comes true

Now, this is the right and legal way to immigrate to another country.
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http://www.easternwakenews.com/communit ... 2417c.html

Eight-year dream of citizenship finally comes true

Photos by Solja Nygard Frangos

Margarita Tucker fulfilled a dream when she became a U.S. citizen recently.

By SOLJA NYGARD FRANGOS, STAFF WRITER

ZEBULON — Next time Margarita Tucker travels abroad, she can choose whether she’ll take her Columbian or American passport with her. The Columbian native, who has been living in the United States for the past eight years, fulfilled her dream when she became an American citizen at the end of June.

Tucker reached a milestone June 23 when she, along with about 50 others, participated in a citizenship ceremony in Charlotte. Three days later, she sent an application for a new passport, and July 10, she was holding the blue covered travel document.

“Becoming a citizen means a lot to me,” the petite, immaculately dressed woman said, smiling widely.

“I now have the same rights and privileges as others. I love Columbia, but I also love my new country, and since I’m living here, it was important to me to take this step.”

Her husband, Clyde Tucker, a natural-born American, is happy his wife can now share every aspect of his life. He is also content that if something happens to him, she won’t face problems.

“This means added security for her,” he said.

Margarita’s rise from a “lawful permanent resident” status to that of a citizen also provided material for many jokes.

“The first thing I told her after she got her citizenship was that she now owes more than $26,000 or however large her portion of our national debt happens to be,” Clyde said, smiling with blue eyes twinkling.

Margarita is one of the more than 600,000 new Americans who are sworn in every year in naturalization ceremonies across the nation, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services said. Naturalization is the process by which U.S. citizenship is conferred upon a foreign citizen after he or she fulfills certain requirements. Those include a period of continuous residence and physical presence in the United States, an ability to read, write and speak English, and knowledge and understanding of U.S. history and government, among others.

The process from applying for her citizenship to receiving her new passport took about four months, which was much less time than the couple had expected. Margarita sent her citizenship application in in mid-March, and, in May, she was called to Charlotte to be fingerprinted. About a month later, she took the test, and a week after that, she was able to participate in the swearing-in ceremony.

From the practical point of view, an American passport allows Margarita to travel to several countries without a visa. As a Columbian citizen, she would have to get a visa, she said.

“But things can also be the other way around,” she said, adding that to travel to Brazil, for instance, Columbians don’t need a visa, while Americans do.

Margarita, who can keep her Columbian citizenship despite becoming an American, is also happy she can now vote in American elections.

“I live here now and consider this my home,” she said. “So it’s important to me to be able to do the same things as others do.”

Clyde said his wife is well-adjusted to her new home country, although it is very different from Columbia. Food, living quarters and language as well as hundreds of other things differ from the South American country.

In Columbia, Margarita used to live in Medellin, a city of more than 3 million inhabitants, where she ran her own insurance agency. In North Carolina, she lives in the country near Zebulon, and the pace of life is totally different, she said.

But while things are different, they are not any worse or better in either country, the new citizen said. When she moved to the United States in fall 1998 to marry Clyde, she knew that she was taking a big step. “But I wanted to be with him and was willing to do it,” she said.

The two got to know about each other through one of Margarita’s clients, and at first, Margarita’s and Clyde’s communication was solely fax machine based. They wrote each other faxes every day, and, a few months later, Clyde visited her in Columbia. For Christmas, Margarita came to Zebulon.

The couple kept their correspondence going, and about a year after sending the first fax, Clyde proposed to Margarita — by fax. “But it was a very nice one,” Clyde, who spent 10 years in Chile as a missionary, and speaks and writes Spanish, said, smiling.

She sent her reply back, and about three months later, they married in Virginia, where Clyde is originally from.

The Tuckers spend about two months every year in Columbia. While Margarita misses many people and things, she is happy in the United States.

“It’s another kind of life here,” she said, “but I love it.”

Contact Solja Nygard Frangos at 365-6262, ext. 108, or snygard@nando.com.

but why is she allowed dual citizenship?????

Originally Posted by gingerurp

but why is she allowed dual citizenship?????

That's a good question. One of more than one fishy situations.

Let me tell you a story about dual citizenship.

Under the current law, any person being sworn in as US Citizen must renounce their allegiance to their former country. But just like any other non-enforced law, the government turns a blind eye and allows that person to keep the passport of their country of origin.

The country of origin, (most of the them), does not recognize the Oath taken to the US Government and it allows that person to have both citizenships.

My personal story:
Since I became a US Citizen I have been fighting to lose my Brazilian citizenship . I had to drive to Los Angeles twice (110 miles each way) to
fill out forms, put up with lots of crp.
The Brazilian government will issue (God only knows when) a document saying that I officially gave up my Brazlian citizenship.
They tried to make it very hard.

It gets worse, if I want to visit Brazil, they will not give me a visa as a
US Citizen until they formally acknoledge ME as a US Citizen with SINGLE
citizenship. (too bad for them) I will go elsewhere.

in IMHO dual citizenship should not be allowed. Some say it sounds too radical. I dont think so, if you want to become an American, embrace her for thick and thin.

This lady says "I love Colombia" and it means: "As a US Citizen I will have all the priviledges just like you, but if the tide turns, I am Colombian now, good luck to you".

The early immigrants came to this county to make it their new home.
That's the way I think it should be.

What part of "I RENOUNCE..." dont they understand.

Odiesback,

Welcome to Alipac!

You make some excellent points against dual citizenship. Even though I've been involved in these issues for more than a year, this dual citizenship nonsense is news to me. Perhaps I missed something along the way but I too thought that if a foreigner became a LEGAL citizen of the USA, they only had single citizenship as an American.

Annie

Thanks for the information on dual citizenship, Odiesback. I had not seen this article before. I'm not too familiar with the FAIR website but one of their articles on overburdened USA schools called "Breaking the Piggy Bank," I have posted and commented in these forums in the past. FAIR is a good website. I'll have to check it out more.

You're very welcome Annie.

Glad we both on the same side of this issue.
I am new here but I hope to learn and help with
all I can.

Let's keep America American.

Originally Posted by noillegalimmigrationannie

Now, this is the right and legal way to immigrate to another country.
----------------------------

http://www.easternwakenews.com/communit ... 2417c.html

Eight-year dream of citizenship finally comes true

Photos by Solja Nygard Frangos

Margarita Tucker fulfilled a dream when she became a U.S. citizen recently.

By SOLJA NYGARD FRANGOS, STAFF WRITER

ZEBULON — Next time Margarita Tucker travels abroad, she can choose whether she’ll take her Columbian or American passport with her. The Columbian native, who has been living in the United States for the past eight years, fulfilled her dream when she became an American citizen at the end of June.

Tucker reached a milestone June 23 when she, along with about 50 others, participated in a citizenship ceremony in Charlotte. Three days later, she sent an application for a new passport, and July 10, she was holding the blue covered travel document.

“Becoming a citizen means a lot to me,” the petite, immaculately dressed woman said, smiling widely.

“I now have the same rights and privileges as others. I love Columbia, but I also love my new country, and since I’m living here, it was important to me to take this step.”

Her husband, Clyde Tucker, a natural-born American, is happy his wife can now share every aspect of his life. He is also content that if something happens to him, she won’t face problems.

“This means added security for her,” he said.

Margarita’s rise from a “lawful permanent resident” status to that of a citizen also provided material for many jokes.

“The first thing I told her after she got her citizenship was that she now owes more than $26,000 or however large her portion of our national debt happens to be,” Clyde said, smiling with blue eyes twinkling.

Margarita is one of the more than 600,000 new Americans who are sworn in every year in naturalization ceremonies across the nation, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services said. Naturalization is the process by which U.S. citizenship is conferred upon a foreign citizen after he or she fulfills certain requirements. Those include a period of continuous residence and physical presence in the United States, an ability to read, write and speak English, and knowledge and understanding of U.S. history and government, among others.

The process from applying for her citizenship to receiving her new passport took about four months, which was much less time than the couple had expected. Margarita sent her citizenship application in in mid-March, and, in May, she was called to Charlotte to be fingerprinted. About a month later, she took the test, and a week after that, she was able to participate in the swearing-in ceremony.

From the practical point of view, an American passport allows Margarita to travel to several countries without a visa. As a Columbian citizen, she would have to get a visa, she said.

“But things can also be the other way around,” she said, adding that to travel to Brazil, for instance, Columbians don’t need a visa, while Americans do.

Margarita, who can keep her Columbian citizenship despite becoming an American, is also happy she can now vote in American elections.

“I live here now and consider this my home,” she said. “So it’s important to me to be able to do the same things as others do.”

Clyde said his wife is well-adjusted to her new home country, although it is very different from Columbia. Food, living quarters and language as well as hundreds of other things differ from the South American country.

In Columbia, Margarita used to live in Medellin, a city of more than 3 million inhabitants, where she ran her own insurance agency. In North Carolina, she lives in the country near Zebulon, and the pace of life is totally different, she said.

But while things are different, they are not any worse or better in either country, the new citizen said. When she moved to the United States in fall 1998 to marry Clyde, she knew that she was taking a big step. “But I wanted to be with him and was willing to do it,” she said.

The two got to know about each other through one of Margarita’s clients, and at first, Margarita’s and Clyde’s communication was solely fax machine based. They wrote each other faxes every day, and, a few months later, Clyde visited her in Columbia. For Christmas, Margarita came to Zebulon.

The couple kept their correspondence going, and about a year after sending the first fax, Clyde proposed to Margarita — by fax. “But it was a very nice one,” Clyde, who spent 10 years in Chile as a missionary, and speaks and writes Spanish, said, smiling.

She sent her reply back, and about three months later, they married in Virginia, where Clyde is originally from.

The Tuckers spend about two months every year in Columbia. While Margarita misses many people and things, she is happy in the United States.

“It’s another kind of life here,” she said, “but I love it.”

Contact Solja Nygard Frangos at 365-6262, ext. 108, or snygard@nando.com.

Clyde shouldn't be surprised when she takes off with half his assets, guys are falling for these cons constantly, do yourself a favor guys....Marry an Americam Woman and play it safe, don't be an Idiot!