Filipina by Birth, American by Marriage…

Posted on Feb 3, 2012 by Chelo in Featured Articles, Marriage, on Faith, People, Reflections | 0 comments

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I Became an American Citizen?

It was a Tuesday in January.

I became a “Filipina by birth and American by Marriage…”.

Sort of.  Technically, I became American by Permanent Residence.

The day I said “I DO”,  I chose to become the people of my husband and his home become my home…

Photo Source - The Huffington Post

But I’ve been thinking (in English and Tagalog) about the meaning of this change of citizenship and allegiance.

“I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state or sovereignty, of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform noncombatant service in the armed forces of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law; and that I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God.”

My blood will always be Filipina and am proud to be so.  Yet I now live in American soil and do embrace this “new home”.

 Pero

Papaano na ang Filipina?

Kagaya nga ng sabi ko, malaki rin ang pasasalamat ko sa aking sariling wika at culturang kinalakhan.  Ito ang nasa dugo at anyo ko.  At ng aking mga anak (at apo, kung pahintulutan kami ng Panginoon).

Wala akong planong kalimutan o talikuran ang aking wika at kultura.  Nais ko itong ipamana sa aking mga magiging angkan. Nais ko parin matuto ang matuklasan ang kulturang pinoy.

Pero sa katotohanan lang ay nagsisimula akong magisip kung gaano nga ba kakitid ang linya ng mga “races” kung pagiisipan ang mga tao base sa kulay ng balat.  Alam ko na sa katotohanan lang ay, wala itong mga pagkakaiba sa mata ng ating Tagapaglika.  Sapagkat lahat ng tao ay kanyang nilikha at minahal.

Sa totoo lang, para sa akin, wala ring masyadong pinagkaiba sapagkat and “sanlibutan” ay LAHAT ng lahi at angkan.

“Ito ay sapagkat sa ganitong paraan inibig ng Diyos ang sanlibutan kaya ipinagkaloob niya ang kaniyang bugtong na Anak upang ang sinumang sumampalataya sa kaniya ay hindi mapahamak kundi magkaroon ng buhay na walang hanggan.” John 3:16

My Real Citizenship

As I and 50 others stood there with their right hands raised.  I and listened intently as the judge spoke the words.  We concluded his reciting with a synchronized “I do”.  I felt patriotic as a mezzo-soprano sang the American National Anthem and hand on my chest almost feeling the thump of my heart.

Then I remember and even see a mental image of a man.  Though faceless, I see him striving and reaching forward to a goal as he says…

Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.  Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead,  I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:12-14, ESV)

I picture him looking back with an urgent determination to admonish to imitate what he is doing (straining to live for Jesus Christ) and not to set my mind on selfish, temporal, and earthly things because

“…our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.”  (Philippians 3:20-21)

I am a Filipina by birth.  I will remember where I came from and pass it on to my children.

I am an American by marriage.  My husband’s home is my home. His people, my people.

I am a citizen of Heaven through Jesus Christ.  May I like Paul strive to live for Him all the while looking forward to see my Savior and Lord.  To serve and worship him forever.

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