Immigrant Anniversary Blog

June 17th 2025

Today I have been living in the United States for four whole years. 

That feels substantial. 

Four years is a presidential term.

Four years is the length of time it takes to get a college degree for a lot of people. 

American culture has rubbed off on me and I am forever changed. 

I’ve lived here long enough to apply for citizenship… but I’m not going to do that. 

Not while there are other immigrants who are being deported. 

I won’t use my white privilege and my legal status to identify as American. 

I want to be a citizen of the world. 

And I want our nations to be safer, more inclusive places.

My husband and children are American, dual citizens, and immigrants. 

I also feel American and America will always hold a special place in my heart. 

Still, I am an immigrant.

And I want to stand with my immigrant neighbors and friends and support their desire to be here, their desire for legal status and/or citizenship. Their desire for acceptance, here in these supposedly “United” States. 

I am so fortunate to be Australian. If my greencard is revoked and I am deported, I get to go home to a very safe country (statistically in the top 20). 

My fellow immigrants may not be so fortunate. The US may be the safest place for them to live. 

So I ask my US friends to embrace more immigrants. 

Make friends with us. 

Learn our names and a little about our cultural heritage. 

Learn about the cost and risks of immigration to this nation. 

Learn about the concept of “American exceptionalism” and why, on the one hand, I admire American confidence, but superiority leaves a bad taste in everyone’s mouths. 

I love you, America, “Land of the free; home of the brave.” 

But I want that “Liberty and justice for all” that I am not seeing right now. 

Reject exceptionalism and embrace liberty-with-justice or just-liberty. 

Be who you pledge allegiance to be. 

Thank you and amen.