Congratulations to David Martinez on Becoming a US Citizen!
Lighting Technician David Martinez didn’t choose to come to America. His mom packed up the family in Mexico City and headed north with David and his two siblings after a rough divorce. She was looking for something better. A fresh start. David started high school here the following year. Thirty-seven years later, he’s a US citizen. [leer en espaรฑol]
A Dream From High School
For most of those 37 years, David carried a green card. It worked, but it came with a cycle: renew it, wait, renew it again, every six to ten years. After his last renewal, he started thinking about it differently. Why keep doing this? Why not just finish what he started?
“I wanted to be a citizen since high school,” he said. “This was a dream I carried for a long time.” The person who finally pushed him to act on it was Chad Owens, Vice President of California, the man David calls his boss and describes without hesitation as “honest, genuine, and very humble.”
“David is a valued member of the FSG team, and we’re excited that he has completed this journey.
We’re all proud of his achievement. Becoming a US citizen has been a long-term goal for him,
and we couldn’t be happier to congratulate him on this milestone.”
– Chad Owens, Vice President of FSG California
David Fell in Love with the US
David will tell you he fell in love with America before he ever understood what citizenship meant. As a teenager, it was the music, the culture, the sense that you could actually build something here if you worked for it. People from everywhere, living alongside each other. That got to him. He also never stopped being Mexican. He didn’t have to choose. His community, his culture, the people he’s worked and lived alongside for nearly four decades, it’s all woven in. He says he balances both with one word: respect.
There’s one thing that still sits with him. He wanted to serve in the military. His legal status at the time meant that the door was closed. He doesn’t dwell on it, but he doesn’t forget it either. Even though he’s too old for the military now, he’s excited for the opportunity to vote.
What He Wants You to Know
David has five years at FSG as a certified lighting technician, and he’s not shy about what this institution has meant to him. But the thing he most wants to say is aimed at his coworkers: If you have legal status and you haven’t pursued citizenship, pursue it.
“It’s a way of achieving something,” he said. “A way of being better, and helping your family and your people.”
He’s already thinking about next steps: voting, traveling without anxiety, and helping his family get here the right way. Congratulations, David!
ยกFelicidades a David Martinez por Convertirse en Ciudadano Estadounidense!
El tรฉcnico de iluminaciรณn David Martinez no eligiรณ venir a Amรฉrica. Su mamรก empacรณ a la familia en la Ciudad de Mรฉxico y se fue al norte con David y sus dos hermanos despuรฉs de un divorcio difรญcil. Ella buscaba algo mejor. Un nuevo comienzo. David empezรณ la preparatoria aquรญ al aรฑo siguiente. Treinta y siete aรฑos despuรฉs, es ciudadano estadounidense.
Un Sueรฑo Desde la Prepa
Durante la mayor parte de esos 37 aรฑos, David cargรณ una tarjeta de residencia. Funcionaba, pero venรญa con un ciclo: renovarla, esperar, renovarla otra vez, cada seis o diez aรฑos. Despuรฉs de su รบltima renovaciรณn, se detuvo y lo pensรณ de otra manera. ยฟPara quรฉ seguir haciendo esto? ยฟPor quรฉ no terminar lo que empezรณ?
“Querรญa ser ciudadano desde la preparatoria,” dijo. “Este era un sueรฑo que carguรฉ mucho tiempo.”
La persona que finalmente lo impulsรณ a actuar fue Chad Owens, Vicepresidente de California, a quien David llama su jefe y describe sin dudar como “honesto, genuino y muy humilde.”
“David es un miembro valioso del equipo de FSG, y nos emociona que haya completado este camino. Todos estamos orgullosos de su logro. Convertirse en ciudadano estadounidense ha sido una meta a largo plazo para รฉl, y no podrรญamos estar mรกs contentos de felicitarlo por este hito.” Chad Owens, Vicepresidente de FSG California
David Se Enamorรณ de los Estados Unidos
David te dirรก que se enamorรณ de Amรฉrica antes de entender lo que significaba la ciudadanรญa. De adolescente, era la mรบsica, la cultura, la sensaciรณn de que podรญas construir algo aquรญ si te esforzabas. Gente de todas partes, viviendo lado a lado. Eso lo marcรณ.
Tampoco dejรณ de ser mexicano. No tuvo que elegir. Su comunidad, su cultura, las personas con quienes ha trabajado y vivido durante casi cuatro dรฉcadas, todo estรก entretejido. Dice que equilibra ambas con una sola palabra: respeto.
Hay algo que todavรญa lleva consigo. Querรญa servir en el ejรฉrcito. Su situaciรณn migratoria en ese entonces significaba que esa puerta estaba cerrada. No se amarga por eso, pero no lo olvida. Aunque ya pasรณ la edad para el servicio militar, estรก emocionado por la oportunidad de votar.
Lo Que Quiere Que Sepas
David lleva cinco aรฑos en FSG como tรฉcnico certificado de iluminaciรณn, y no le da pena decir lo que esta instituciรณn ha significado para รฉl. Pero lo que mรกs quiere decirle va dirigido a sus compaรฑeros: si tienes estatus legal y no has buscado la ciudadanรญa, bรบscala.
“Es una forma de lograr algo,” dijo. “Una forma de mejorar, y de ayudar a tu familia y a tu gente.”
Ya estรก pensando en los prรณximos pasos: votar, viajar sin angustia, y ayudar a su familia a llegar aquรญ por el camino correcto. ยกFelicidades, David!