I had the profound privilege of watching my friend and neighbor take the oath to become a United States citizen in Portland. To be a part of such a moving ceremony, at this time, was to experience a motherlode of cognitive dissonance.

First, the good part. The ceremony itself was deeply moving. Thirty individuals from 22 different countries came together, representing a beautiful mosaic of humanity — all choosing to become citizens of the United States.

Each of the new citizens was given a small American flag to wave. What might have been a quaint, maybe even comical, gesture instead was so moving that it brought tears to my eyes. These miniature flags, waved with such genuine joy and pride, symbolized something remarkable — the culmination of years of hopes, dreams (and paperwork). I felt proud to be an American.

But at the same time, I felt a profound sense of despair — hence the cognitive dissonance. It was difficult to reconcile these new Americans embracing their citizenship with hope and optimism with our fractured political landscape and the demonization of people who have committed the crime of wanting to come to America.

This juxtaposition — between the America these new citizens believe in and the America that I barely recognize — made me wonder if they were embracing a dream that no longer exists, or if their very presence represents the enduring power of that dream to transcend our darkest moments and remind us of who we could still become.

Bradford Colbert
Portland