Citizenship

My Citizenship Picture (1947)

It reminds me of a number of different emotions. The day of my examination was a day of trepidation. My parents-in-law drove my husband and me to St. Paul. I trembled through the whole trip which took longer then than it does these days, afraid I wouldn’t pass the exam. Marriage for me meant for life so I know I would be in America for the rest of my life so I needed to apply for Citizenship. I took a course by mail at the U of MN and learned all about the workings of the government and what it meant to be a citizen.

I was also asked for my thoughts on different subjects. One in particular shocked me some at the time. It was, “Do you think the standard of education in the South should be on the same level as in the North?” I answered it with my own question, “Why should it be any less?” I am glad I took that route of learning. It was very thorough and I did pass the examination and was pleased to become an American and yet even so, another emotion was making itself felt about the fact I had to give up my British passport and the security it afforded me. But it wasn’t as much about losing the security since my husband had the same values as I did. If we had problems along the way we would work them out but it was like deserting my family, friends, and country, and part of my identity.

But I have been an American now for nearly 62 years and it has been good. I have a good husband and two fine children, five grandchildren, and one great grandson. I look at that picture now and say, “If only you could have seen ahead, you wouldn’t have worried one bit.” I am so glad Great Britain is an ally of the U.S. of A. How could they not be?

Contributed by: Gwynneth Schwanbeck