Interview with a Naturalized Citizen: Magdalena Mieri

Summary

Maria Magdalena Mii, a 47-year-old woman from Argentina, shares her journey to U.S. citizenship. Arriving in 1992, she discusses her strong ties to Argentina, including family and cultural connections. Motivated by civic participation, she underwent a two-year naturalization process, culminating in a ceremony at George Mason University. Wearing a pin symbolizing her dual identity, she reflects on the emotional significance of becoming a citizen, feeling empowered to contribute to her new country while honoring her Argentine roots.

Takeaways

• 🌍 Maria Magdalena Mii is originally from Argentina and moved to the United States in 1992.
• 📅 She arrived in Florida on March 27, 1992, and then moved to her current area in early April.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Maria came to the U.S. with her husband Fabian, and they both maintain strong connections to their home country.
• 📞 Maria stays in touch with her family in Argentina through weekly Skype calls and other means.
• 🗳️ Maria's primary motivation for naturalization was to gain the right to vote and become more active in civic society.
• 🤔 Maria's decision to naturalize was a personal one, and she did not have extensive discussions with her family about it.
• 📚 The naturalization process involved filling out forms, submitting information, paying fees, and studying for a civics interview.
• 🏫 Maria's interview was quick and easy, and she was asked only two questions and had to write a sentence.
• 📅 Her naturalization ceremony was on May 20, 2004, at George Mason University, and it was a large event with about 400 people.
• 📌 Maria wore a pin resembling the Argentinian flag to symbolize her dual identity as both Argentinian and American.
• 💖 Becoming a naturalized citizen gave Maria a sense of agency and belonging in American society.

Q & A

What is Maria Magdalena Mii's age?

Maria Magdalena Mii is 47 years old.

In which year did Maria Magdalena Mii come to the United States?

Maria Magdalena Mii came to the United States in 1992.

Where did Maria Magdalena Mii move to in the United States?

Maria Magdalena Mii moved to an area in the United States in early April after flying into Florida in March 1992.

Where did Maria Magdalena Mii come from originally?

Maria Magdalena Mii came from Argentina, specifically from a small town about 5 hours West from the capital city.

How does Maria Magdalena Mii maintain connections to Argentina?

Maria Magdalena Mii maintains connections to Argentina by talking to her family on Skype, reading the newspaper, listening to Argentinian music, drinking traditional Argentinian beverages, and staying in touch with friends from high school.

What was Maria Magdalena Mii's primary motivation for becoming a naturalized citizen?

Maria Magdalena Mii's primary motivation for becoming a naturalized citizen was to be able to vote and become active in civic society.

How did Maria Magdalena Mii's husband feel about becoming a citizen?

Maria Magdalena Mii's husband felt that becoming a citizen was the next step after having the green card for 5 years.

How long did the naturalization process take for Maria Magdalena Mii?

The naturalization process took almost two years for Maria Magdalena Mii.

What was the main challenge Maria Magdalena Mii faced during the naturalization process?

The main challenge Maria Magdalena Mii faced during the naturalization process was the waiting and the amount of paperwork involved.

How was the naturalization interview for Maria Magdalena Mii?

The naturalization interview was easy and friendly for Maria Magdalena Mii, and she was only asked two questions.

What object did Maria Magdalena Mii bring to symbolize her dual identity as an Argentinian and a new US citizen?

Maria Magdalena Mii brought a pin that resembled the Argentinian flag, which was also made by Navajo Indians, symbolizing her connection to both her Argentinian heritage and her new identity as a US citizen.

How did becoming a naturalized citizen affect Maria Magdalena Mii's life?

Becoming a naturalized citizen gave Maria Magdalena Mii a sense of agency and belonging in society, allowing her to feel free to contribute and express her opinion as part of the United States.

Outlines

00:00

🌟 Immigration and Naturalization Journey

Maria Magdalena Mii, a 47-year-old woman from Argentina, shares her immigration story to the United States in 1992. She discusses her family's move from Argentina to Florida and then to their current location. Maria maintains strong connections with her home country through regular communication with family, reading Argentine newspapers, listening to Argentine music, and drinking traditional beverages. She also expresses her motivation for becoming a naturalized U.S. citizen, which was primarily to gain the right to vote and participate actively in civic society. Maria's husband, Fabian, became a citizen earlier, and although she was initially unsure, she eventually pursued naturalization as well. The naturalization process involved filling out forms, submitting additional information, paying fees, and studying for an interview about U.S. civics and history. The interview turned out to be easy, and she was naturalized in a ceremony at George Mason University in 2004.

05:00

🏆 The Significance of Cultural Symbols

Maria talks about the pin she wore during her naturalization ceremony, which resembles the Argentine flag and was made by Navajo Indians. This pin symbolizes her dual identity as both an Argentine and a U.S. citizen. She cherishes this connection to the United States from her time in New Mexico, where she learned about Native American cultures. Becoming a naturalized citizen has given Maria a sense of agency and belonging in American society. She feels that she can now contribute to and benefit from the country as a full participant. The emotional and ideological aspects of her naturalization are highlighted, as she sees herself as part of the American project and its development.

Keywords

💡Naturalization

Naturalization refers to the process by which a non-citizen in a country becomes a citizen. In the video, Maria Magdalena Mii talks about her journey to become a naturalized U.S. citizen, which involved filling out forms, paying fees, and studying for an interview about U.S. civics and history. This process is central to her story as it represents her desire to become an active participant in American society.

💡Civic Society

Civic society generally refers to the community of citizens who participate in the political and social life of their community. Maria mentions her motivation to become a naturalized citizen was to be able to vote and become active in civic society, indicating a desire to engage more fully in the democratic process and contribute to her community.

💡Emotional

Emotions are a significant part of human experience and can influence decisions and actions. Maria discusses the emotional aspect of becoming a naturalized citizen, noting that it was more about the feelings of belonging and agency rather than just the administrative process. This reflects the personal impact of her decision to naturalize.

💡Argentina

Argentina is Maria's country of origin, and it plays a crucial role in her identity. She mentions keeping strong connections with Argentina through family, music, and culture, which shows the importance of her roots and how they remain a part of her life even after moving to the U.S.

💡Ceremony

A ceremony is a formal event or ritual, often marking a significant occasion. Maria describes the naturalization ceremony, which she attended along with approximately 400 other people, as being quick and somewhat anonymous. This ceremony is a pivotal moment in her narrative as it symbolizes her official transition into U.S. citizenship.

💡Patriotism

Patriotism is the love and devotion to one's country. Maria's choice to wear a pin resembling the Argentinian flag during her naturalization ceremony illustrates her patriotism towards both her home country and her adopted country. It shows a balance between her Argentine roots and her new identity as a U.S. citizen.

💡Agency

Agency refers to the capacity of an individual to act independently and make their own free choices. Maria feels that becoming a naturalized citizen gave her agency, allowing her to feel like a full participant in society. This sense of empowerment is a key takeaway from her naturalization experience.

💡Ideological

Ideological refers to relating to or based on a set of political or social ideas. Maria mentions feeling more ideologically connected to the U.S. after naturalization, indicating that her decision was not just practical but also aligned with her beliefs about what it means to be part of a country.

💡Fellowship

A fellowship is an opportunity to gain experience or knowledge, often in a professional or academic setting. Maria's mention of a fellowship in New Mexico where she learned about Native cultures shows an early connection to the U.S. and an enriching experience that contributed to her understanding and appreciation of the country's diversity.

💡Pin

The pin Maria brought to the interview is a physical object that represents her dual identity as both an Argentine and a U.S. citizen. It is a symbol of her patriotism and a keepsake from her naturalization ceremony, making it a significant and personal item that ties together her past and present.

💡Contribute

To contribute means to give something, often one's time, effort, or resources, to a cause or to help achieve something. Maria expresses a desire to contribute to her new country after becoming a citizen, highlighting a sense of responsibility and commitment to the community she has joined.

Highlights

Maria Magdalena Mii is a 47-year-old woman who moved to the United States from Argentina in 1992.

She arrived in Florida on March 27, 1992, and moved to her current area in early April.

Maria came to the US with her husband Fabian, who is also from Argentina.

She maintains strong connections to Argentina, including regular communication with family and friends.

Maria's motivation for becoming a naturalized citizen was to be able to vote and participate in civic society.

Her husband became a citizen shortly after obtaining his green card, while Maria took more time to decide.

The naturalization process involved filling out forms, submitting documents, paying fees, and attending an interview.

Maria had to study for the civics and government portion of the naturalization interview.

The interview process was quick and easy, with only two questions asked.

Maria's naturalization ceremony was held at George Mason University campus on May 20, 2004.

She wore a pin resembling the Argentinian flag to symbolize her dual identity as both Argentinian and American.

The pin was made by Navajo Indians, representing Maria's first connection with Native American cultures.

Becoming a naturalized citizen gave Maria a sense of agency and belonging in American society.

Maria feels that she can now contribute to and benefit from the United States as a citizen.

The emotional impact of naturalization was significant for Maria, as it allowed her to feel part of the American project.

Maria's story highlights the importance of dual citizenship and maintaining cultural ties while embracing a new nationality.

Transcripts

my name is Maria Magdalena Mii and I'm

47 year old okay and when did you come

to the United States I came to the

United States in

1992 on March 27 1992 we flew into

Florida and then early April we moved to

this area okay and where were you coming

from um we came from Argentina I say we

because I came with my husband Fabian

who's also from Argentina uh from the

city of woid although I grew up in a

very small town about 5 hours West from

the capital city Wiis okay and do you

keep any connections to Argentina oh yes

lots of connections I well my family is

still there both my parents thank God

are alive and we get on Skype and we

chat almost every week and my older

sister lives there my husband family

lives all there as well and I let's see

I read the newspaper once every so often

I listen to music that's produced

created in Argentina I drink ma that

happens in Argentina very traditional

drink um yeah lots of connections and I

still in touch with high school friends

and other friends so yeah okay and so

what made you want to become a

naturalized citizen huh that's a tough

question I think my first motivation was

to be able to vote to become active in

Civic

Society I didn't think much about it in

terms of emotionally the feelings but I

felt I had lived here a good 15 years

and I was ready to become an active

participant and I really wanted to vote

so that was kind of my um my best

motivation to become a US citizen and so

did you and your family talk a little

bit about the pros and cons of becoming

naturalized no not really um my husband

became citizen as early as he could

after 5 years of having the green card

he said this is my next step I wasn't so

sure I um I wasn't sure I really want to

be that involved you know being an

immigrant is not um just making

decisions and I'm part of this is It's

hard to let go and until you understand

that you are not really letting go that

you are adding to who you are um so it

took me a little longer and as I said I

really wanted to go and so there wasn't

much of a discussion about that okay um

and so can you please describe your

experience of the naturalized uh

naturalization process some of the major

steps yes um let's see if I remember

though uh it wasn't too complicated um

as I said my husband had become citizen

before so I knew exactly uh what he went

through and I helped him quite a bit um

it took longer than I thought though um

so instead I think in his case it was

within a year my case it took almost two

years but it was a lot of filling out

forms and submitting them and waiting

for notifications and sub submitting

additional information uh paying fees

and then the um the interview uh for

which I had to study about I don't think

there were 100 questions but there were

quite a bit of questions about us Civics

and government and history so it was

preparing for that and then the

interview was really easy very friendly

people and I think they asked me only

two questions and then I had to write a

sentence uh and I was done like in 10

minutes and then after that it was like

waiting and waiting until I finally got

the appointment to have the ceremony and

that was on um May 20th the only reason

I remember I think it's because my

husband's birthday on that day in 2004

and it was at um George Mason University

campus so it was pretty the ceremony

itself was pretty Anonymous it was about

maybe 400 people in it um but it was and

it was also quick so yeah it was pretty

straightforward okay and um so what

object did you bring with me gu you and

what's the story behind it

sure so this is the object that I

brought to share and it's a pin and I

that's what I wore the day that I became

that I went to my sword and it was all

dressed in black and I have this pain

here and I choose this pin because it's

pretty much looks like the

Argentinian U flag pin which is called

is scapella um Coca I think you could

call it it's what we use on patriotic

days kids when they go to school and

it's uh light blue and white and so this

was the closest that I have to one of

them so this was my way to symbolize

that I yeah I was becoming a US citizen

yet I'm still in my heart Argentinian

and it's also made by um Navajo Indians

and that was my first connection with

the United States before moving here um

I had a fellowship in New Mexico and I

learned a lot about Native cultures

there so it was that also my first

contact with the United States and

experience so I treasure this this is

important oh thank you you're welcome um

so so um how was your life affected by

becoming a naturalized

citizen I think that is of course beyond

the paperwork it's more

in the emotional and the feelings and um

and I think it gave me agency in saying

yes now I'm part of this Society I'm the

same as anybody else that choose to

become a US citizen and had made this

wonderful country I can be part of this

and I can contribute and I can benefit

and I felt really good about that so it

was more I think in the as I said in the

emotional in the feeling side of things

but also ideologically feeling more I'm

part of this sort of project and uh and

Country and development so I felt free

to contribute to express my opinion um

by saying yes I'm part of this as well

so I think that's in the brother

okay all right well thank you so much

you're very

welcome