I completed the N400 Naturalization form today. It took a while. I had to collect a bunch of documentation to support it; including court documents of marital history, passport photos, all the times I had been outside of the US, etc. I also solemnly (and honestly) declared that I am not a Nazi, a Communist, a Terrorist, a Freemason or a Brisbane Broncos supporter. I suspect that saying yes to any of those and the US can deny your application for lack of moral character (and rightly so).

An English mate of mine that I work with put his in recently too. It took about a month for him to get called up for the biometrics work (finger printing etc), and then about another month for the test. Like Australia, the US has a test on constitutional knowledge of the American political system. The US is bit more serious about it, and doesn't include sports questions about Denis Lillee, or if you think the ANZACs are totally awesome or just awesome.

Hopefully it all goes well and in a few month American citizenship comes through for me. Courtesy of Rupert Murdoch and his anglosphere media empire I can be a dual citizen. Not that it matters, I don't see myself moving to Australia any time soon to live again. I am pretty American these days, funny accent aside.

I went through the Citizenship ceremony on Saturday at the Chandler multicultural festival (that is me looking like Agent Smith in the above photograph). It was a bit of a schmozzle. The candidates for citizenship were separated from their families and put in a large room where different people went through how we have to fill out our SSN forms again to get updated, and how we need to fill out passport forms and voting forms afterwards.

We then filed in - still separated from our families - to a seated area. There were only seats for those naturalizing, family had to stand. We sat through some speeches and then did the oath. Afterwards we got certificates to say we were now citizens and then we had to go back into the original room and wait in line to update our SSN details.

Nation states have their own rituals on the importance of citizenship, which are part of what makes the citizenship itself important. It is a way to bind the individual to the public and national goals of the nation. I enjoyed the national anthem being sung by a fellow with a strong voice without embellishment. I also enjoyed reading the oath.

America does a lot of things well, very well, but one area that it does not do well is when it falls into schlocky nationalism. As part of the ceremony we sang God Bless America in a Vegas style production and the new citizens were expected to wave flags during this schlock rendition. You have to take the good with the bad.

I am glad I didn't invite anyone along other than my wife as the ceremony wasn't that slick. As it was, I felt bad for her as she spent ages waiting on her own while I was stuck in lines to be processed or being told to sit somewhere or do something.

I am US Citizen now. Which is very cool. I probably should have done it years ago. I have lived in the US for thirteen years now and it is my home. I won't be moving be moving back to Australia as far as I can see. I love it here.

Note : There were two hundred people naturalizing from fifty-six different nations of origin.

The candidates for citizenship were given a bag of goodies that included papers to enroll to vote, updating your SSN, getting a passport, a booklet that had the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution in their entirety in it, a booklet describing civic responsibilities and opportunities and a miniature American flag.

The Oath of Allegiance, once uttered officially by an immigrant, is the point between being an immigrant and being a US Citizen. The candidates repeated it after a speaker on the stage, a couple of words at a time, and then at the end the speaker welcomed everyone as new citizens of the United States.

This is the personal written message I received from Barack Obama on becoming a citizen of the United States;

I am honored to congratulate you on becoming a citizen of the United State of America. You represent the promise of the American Dream, and, because of your determination, this great Nation is now your Nation.

You have sworn a solemn oath to this country, and you share in its privileges and responsibilities. Our democratic principles and liberties are yours to uphold through active and engaged participation. I encourage you to be involved in your community and to promote the values that guide us as Americans: hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism.

Since our founding, generations of immigrants have come t this country full of hope for a brighter future, and they have made sacrifices in order to pass that legacy on to their children and grand children. This is the and the promise of citizenship. You are now part of this precious history, and you serve as an inspiration to those that will come after you.

We embrace you as a new citizen of our land, and we welcome you to the American family.

I couldn't find any information about if each President re-writes that message to new citizens. It would be interesting to know the history of this written message from Administration to Administration and whether they rewrite it or tailor it to their own view of what being American means.

The message is largely of being aware of civic duty and asking to engage with the polis as a citizen. The speeches at the ceremony had the same message, they were almost pleading for an active citizenry in the community and government. The argument was that citizenship is an active position, not a passive one. Obama's message is of a similar tone, to be active in the polis and leave a better future for the citizens that follow.

The benefits of dual citizenship. I am not sure what it gains me though to be perfectly frank. Unlike Rupert Murdoch I don't have business interests in Australia and the United States. The main benefit is that if want to go back to Australia and work I am not negated from entering the Australian labor market.

Probably a good thing in its own right as the labor market is increasingly global and talent is drawn from a multi-continental pool. American technology would not be where it is today if it did not have access to the Indian labor market.