I once hated America, and I was so wrong

“I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God.”

Just a few days ago, I said these words in front of the friends who had accompanied me to take my Oath of Allegiance to become an American citizen. As I looked around the room I saw dozens of people from more than 20 countries, and from every continent except Antarctica.

Behind me was a woman from Jordan, who wore a hijab and who could hardly contain her excitement. To my left were Black immigrants from Nigeria and the Congo. In front of me, a white immigrant from France and another from Canada. Latin American immigrants were scattered among the crowd, but I was the only Mexican there being sworn in that day. 

After this day, we were no longer Australians, Bolivians, Indians, Filipinos, Venezuelans, Afghans, or Mexicans. Rather, we were all proud Americans.

There is one additional little person, more important than I, who will also soon become an American. My wife is 34 weeks pregnant with our first son, who will become an American citizen at birth.

The difference between native-born Americans and naturalized Americans is significant. Native-born Americans will never take the Oath of Allegiance. Sure, most Americans pledge allegiance to the flag in school, but that’s not binding. Many refuse to say it. Ironically, and by design, the refusal to stand for the pledge is a right that America grants all people, not just its citizens. 

This distinction sheds light on the privilege of being born in America which, unfortunately, leads many people to take their rights for granted. Worst of all, it leads many young people to hate America groundlessly.

I can sympathize with this anti-American hatred because I once shared the sentiment. I used to listen to toxic voices that told me America hated me because I was brown-skinned and an immigrant. This hatred of people like me, the argument went, was at the heart of Americanism. This led me to hate America and march alongside the Antifa and Occupy movements.

I still realize that America is not perfect. In its nearly 250 years, it has been the site of many injustices. But as I navigated my immigrant journey, I began to realize that America is so much more than its shortcomings. America is about the promise of liberty and a more just society, in which every day we inch closer to “a more perfect union.”

This promise is enshrined in the preamble to the Constitution, in which the Founders promised to fight for justice and the blessings of liberty for themselves and all future generations. It is no accident that the Oath of Allegiance is not to the U.S. government, but to the U.S. Constitution.

It is a unique challenge for every American, both native-born and naturalized, to recognize our country’s promise. We as Americans need to teach our children the promise of justice and freedom for everyone.

As I raise my son in an increasingly toxic political environment, I must face the fact that he may fall into this anti-American trap. Yet the commitment I made in reciting the Oath of Allegiance, and the understanding I gained through my immigrant journey, compel me to ensure that he sees beyond America’s imperfections and embraces the promise of justice and freedom for everyone.

Being American is not just about the great freedoms every citizen enjoys (and even most non-citizens). Being American is also a responsibility to leave this country freer and more prosperous for the next generation.

This responsibility includes teaching children their country’s virtues and its importance, not just its historical failures, so that they do not fall for the traps that I did when I was young.

These are the lessons I hope to teach my son. As a new American and as a new father, one of my most important jobs in life is to make sure that I make this country more free, more just, and more prosperous for him.

Gabriel Nadales is national director of Our America.