Earlier this year, I earned the great honor bestowed upon me by our democracy: citizenship. After a long and expensive journey, I finally became a naturalized citizen of the United States.
My journey began back in 2006 when my stepfather convinced my mother to live in El Paso with him. After a few years my stepfather got a job in Fort Worth, Texas, which placed my mother and me in line for permanent residency. I vividly remember going through the application process as our biometric appointment was placed in a shopping mall just across the food court.
After becoming a permanent resident in 2009, I went to school where I developed a taste for music, writing and politics.