Citizenship has become a hot topic in America. However, when we brought Joshua into this country, things were different. Deportation did not feel a constant threat, and no one urged us to rush filing for his Certificate of Citizenship. We had filed a ton of paperwork with USCIS getting approval to bring an "alien" into our country as our child. It was approved, and the advice of the day was to get the COC finalized before he was 18 because it made FAFSA easier.
I am not usually one to sit on paperwork, but I was SO tired of it. Plus, we were broke. Then we built the house, had a new baby. . . in all honesty I got distracted for a while. However, as our political climate changed, I started waking in the night worrying. What if my son became one of those terrible cases you see on the evening news?
In January of 2016 (yes, I typed that correctly) I mailed the stack of paperwork and big ole check the government required to finalize Joshua's citizenship. I received confirmation they got all the documents, and that was it for 18 months. 18 months into the process, I FINALLY got an email in response to the one I had sent months earlier. I was told everything was approved, and we would be notified of his naturalization ceremony soon.
In November, I still had NO word on the ceremony. I was feeling alone and helpless and forgotten. With the need to travel to Norway for Jamison and Ida's wedding this summer, the timing felt even more dire. It was absolutely imperative that Joshua be able to travel with us. In frustration and desperation, I reached out by email to Senator Hoeven's office. I received a phone call within the week. Monty, the staff person who spoke with me, was so kind. She was responsive to my questions, compassionate, and willing to help.
Less than 6 weeks later, I was shocked and completely thrilled to get a call from USCIS in Fargo stating they had Joshua's expedited COC. And today, we were FINALLY able to sign every needed document and receive his official Certificate of Citizenship once and for all.
I am beyond thankful to have this completed.
Yet, it is bittersweet. There is a part of my heart that feels as though becoming a US citizen is a denial of Joshua's Ethiopian heritage. And there is nothing about his heritage that we want to deny. His biological roots are beautiful, and it is my prayer that they will grow deeper as he ages.
The complexity of adoption never ceases to amaze me. It is not simple. It never will be. But it is beautiful. And I am so utterly, humbly grateful that we were chosen to be his parents. So often I wish I could have coffee with his Ethiopian mom and share some goofy or grand event in his life. We share an amazing boy. If she could see him now, I know she would be so proud. I am also quite certain she would side with me on things like lotion usage and haircuts. (11 year old boys do not spend much time worrying about their appearance!) But if I am honest, she would probably side with Joshua on pants. (I think he needs new pants because they are short. He says they are in good condition, why replace them?)
If she could see him now. . .
