This initial rejection took a hard toll on my health. Because of the financial distress, I lost weight and sleep. Keep in mind that during my naturalization application process, I was still studying in a university, paying rent, and working part time. 2011 was the most stressful year yet. But hey you know what—I’m a tough guy. I recovered from being rejected by my peers, by a childhood crush, by boyfriends who cheated on me, by countless college admissions and job interviewers. All of those arduous experiences truly made me stronger.
A lot of people found that a bit surprising when I told them because they said I don’t really have an accent and I seem to be ‘cultured-up’ very well, but then I’d tell them, “it doesn’t matter where I was born, I am a U.S. citizen now just like any others.”
Even though that sounds like one easy sentence to say, it took me over 10 years to be in the position to say it.
Did you guys know- I was actually rejected the first time when I applied for U.S. citizenship in 2010?