And next week my wife may be, too!
Melting pot? Salad Bowl? Something in beteween? Or none of the above? Call it what you will, I'm going to call it the best nation on the face of the planet. And next week, I'll be taking my wife to the local INS office for her final interview for citizenship and barring any problems, she will become a US citizen! I honestly don't know who is more excited or nervous about it.
She's been doing some studying and I've been trying to help out. I recently made some flashcards for her where I printed out all the questions and answers from the naturalization packet (pretty much the same ones Gideon posted here - Can You Pass the US Citizenship Test?). I printed out all the questions and answers and cut them into little strips of paper. I then used a glue stick to put them on small flashcards. Now, she can carry them in a little box in her pocket/purse and study anywhere she wants without having to pull out the multi-page handout.
She's really nervous right now about the interview. I've told her that she will do fine and that I'm sure it's OK to miss some questions. Hell, I didn't even know the answers to a few of them, myself! I told her that she just needs to stay calm and prepare as best she can. Between classes and homework at the college and working part time, she's been throwing herself at the study materials for the test. This weekend we are going to have a study session or two together.
From everything I've heard from the staff and faculty that have gone through the process, the interview is not all that difficult. I've heard that knowledge is secondary to presentation and sincerity in wanting to become a citizen. The most common piece of advice I've received was to talk as much as possible with the interviewer. Show ability in English and make small talk. Also, throw in some good 'Why I want to be a citizen' type things.
I am proud to be an American. And, I am so very proud that my wife has chosen to become a citizen and is nearing the end of that process. I know that she will never forget that she is Korean and that that is where she came from, but that has always been one of the best things about being American. We are such a diverse people, with so many pieces and parts of other cultures put together. Cultures that we can share, or not. Keep or forget. But, that is our choice. We don't have to forget where we came from, in order to be who we are.
Of course, that's just my opinion... feel free to disagree!