- I moved to the US in 2010 for high school in New York City.
- I planned to return to Argentina and continue my career there.
- I am married to an American and we are raising our three children together.
When I applied for a master’s program in the US, I had no plans to move permanently.
I considered attending Columbia Journalism’s 10-month program and then returning to Argentina, where I had left behind a boyfriend, my cat, a fully furnished apartment, and every member of my family.
When I got a job offer after graduation, my dad insisted that I at least try New York City for a year.
One thing led to another, and I’ve been in the US for 14 years. I am married with three children, and I recently became a US citizen so I could vote.
Becoming a mother made me care more about politics. I want to do my part as a parent to ensure that my three children have a future full of possibilities.
For years, I had to explain why I couldn’t vote
Every time an election came around, people asked me why I hadn’t voted.
When I married my husband, family and friends assumed that because he was American, I would automatically be able to vote. It’s not that simple. For a while after I got married, I was still on a work visa, so legally I still wasn’t eligible.
Then, I decided to become a resident and applied for a green card through marriage.
I remember the interview for my green card well.
My husband and I had to prove that we were in a real relationship. We brought albums from our weddings and I held our 4 month old, trying to soothe him back to sleep. When the officer asked me if I planned to overthrow the government, my sleep-deprived brain thought he was asking me if I was going to “respect the government”, to which I replied “Yes”. The officer stopped, my husband looked at me in shock, and I said, “Wait, what was the question?”
The officer asked again. I answered correctly and sighed in relief when I was approved.
Again, many people mistakenly assumed this meant I could finally vote.
I became a US citizen at the end of 2021
My three children were born in the US and are US citizens. I was worried about all my family but me who had American passports. One of my biggest fears was being separated from them at the US border on my way back from vacation – I’ve been questioned extensively in the past despite having a valid work visa. So, after being on a green card for four years, I decided to apply for US citizenship.
My main motivators were my children. I wanted to make sure that we were never separated because of our nationalities. I also wanted to be able to help make decisions about their future. A key way to do this was through voting.
I took the citizenship test in November 2021. I was overprepared and lost many sleepless nights. A week later, I was invited to the swearing-in ceremony and became a naturalized citizen.
This is the first year I will be voting for president
Since I became a citizen, I have participated in all local elections. In Argentina, voting is mandatory, so I take my responsibility seriously.
For the first time I will be voting for a president of the United States and I am doing it because of my children. I want to be able to cast my vote for their future since they can’t vote yet.
Whatever happens, it will be a memorable election for me – I’ll finally get my “I Voted” sticker.