The dream of becoming a citizen
By MEITAL CAPLAN
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Through a three-part series, El Conquistador will share the story of three Lake County families that have come from other countries and have walked the long road to citizenship in the United States.
The first part of these series is about a Mexican family from Cuernavaca.
The second features a family from Russia and the third, a family from the Philippines.
Hundreds of thousands of immigrants come to the U.S. legally each year in search of the freedoms that many take for granted.
Going through all the paperwork and years of waiting to receive a citizenship certificate may not seem that important to someone who was born with all the rights that those coming to the U.S. search for. But for the many people who leave their native countries and comforts, that simple piece of paper – which can cost a family of four about $2,485 – symbolizes a feeling of belonging to their new home.
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Deya Vera, Arturo Pertz and their sons emigrated from Mexico and followed the usual path – obtaining a work visa, green card and, finally, citizenship.
For those who never struggled for freedom and security, these stories of families packing up and leaving what they know for a land of promise may provide insight as to what a true gift it is to live in America.
Deya Vera of Grayslake exposes her feelings when thinking about life back in her native country of Mexico.
“I want to cry ... because I remember all the good things that we left,” she said.
Before immigrating to the United States, Vera and her husband, Arturo Pertz, and two sons, Ibra and Baruk, lived in the city of Cuernavaca. Neighbors interacted with each other, and almost any occasion provided the family with a party to enjoy.
“We celebrate many things, so it’s a very good excuse for being together,” Vera said. “I miss the happiness, the dancing, [and] the food.”
In Cuernavaca, Vera enjoyed the luxury of staying at home with her sons while Pertz worked as a professor of chemistry at the Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos. It was while Pertz was at the university that Abbott Laboratories approached him with a proposal to come work in the United States.
“It was a good opportunity for our kids to grow up in another country [and] learn another language,” Pertz said. “I believe that the U.S. gives to everybody more opportunities.”
The family immigrated in 1999 through a work visa called H-1B Specialty Occupations. The visa allowed Pertz and his family to enter the U.S., although only Pertz qualified to work, he said. Not allowed to gain employment, Vera stayed home with her sons while trying to adjust to her new life, she said.
“I think it was harder for me, because living here, it was the first time and I was just with the kids inside the house with no car, no friends, no family [and] no job,” she said.
After two-and-a-half years, the family applied for green cards, which would allow them to become permanent residents of the U.S., they said. Permanent residents, however, do not hold all the same rights as citizens.
“[Citizenship] offered protection for us,” Pertz said. “We knew that if for some reason anything could be wrong, we could be deported.”
Once the overall eight-year process finished, Pertz recognized the importance of the journey his family made.
“I feel happy because when you think about how difficult it is for some people, and we were able to get [citizenship], it means a lot,” he said. “To be there with 100 people [in a citizenship ceremony] pursuing the same thing, it was a very special [event].”
Continuing their lives in Lake County, Vera and Pertz said they have a lot to be thankful for.
“I think that we owe a lot to the U.S. because it’s the county where we live, the country where I got a job, [and] where I got an education,” Pertz said. “So, I have a lot of respect and feel proud to be here … I can not imagine any other country giving me this opportunity.”
Because Vera and Pertz’s sons were minors at the time, the boys qualified for naturalization the moment their parents became citizens. Pertz’s ceremony became a memorable experience for the entire family.
“[My sons] kept asking me when they were going to be American, and they were looking forward to it,” Pertz said. “So when we went to the ceremony, and we got our citizenship, they also asked, ‘Are we Americans, too?’ and we said, ‘Yes, you are Americans, too.’”
