So here I am on the 4th of July in my fifth homeland. No, this might be overstating it – this is my 5th country of residence. Preceding this one were Mexico, India, Germany and Canada, whose passport I continue to carry. I have enjoyed all these countries, and must confess a certain loyalty to each of them. I love the cultural warmth of Mexico, the fine (engineering & other) quality of Germany, the incredible complexity & resilience of India, the sense of undefined uniqueness of Canada and the strong sense of self confidence of the US.
This new country sojourn is different. I am carrying a green card, a euphemism for being a landed immigrant. If/when I get the chance, I will become a citizen particularly given that this it is possible to retain my Canadian citizenship.
Still, I have never been a great (Canadian) nationalist. I have never joined a political party. I didn’t want to be that sectarian. I have never sewed the Canadian flag on my backpack nor pasted flag decals on my suitcases. It’s not that I am embarrassed, I think it is for me a preference to be a global citizen, loyal to all people and places everywhere. I wish that we could achieve a world in which crossing borders was, for all people, easier, and with a lesser need for visas.
I was back in Canada a couple of weeks ago, and it felt good. It also felt good crossing the border at Emerson to have the Homeland Security agent say “welcome back.” In a few months, we will again spend a portion of the winter at our condo in Zihuatanejo, and I look forward to “bienvenidos” at that border crossing. Maybe I could naturalize there too, and thus become a NAFTA citizen.