Becoming partly American...

"All Things Considered, January 17, 2008 · More than a million legal immigrants applied to naturalize last year, a sharp spike driven by fee increases and — for many — a desire to vote in this year's presidential race.

But the immigration agency says it's overwhelmed and can't process the applications until after the vote. That has led to charges that a Republican administration is blocking new voters who are likely to lean Democratic.

Now the head of Citizenship and Immigration Services tells a congressional panel how he plans to speed up processing." (link)

And guess who was one of the ones that applied? Me! One week before they raised the fees with 60%. It still cost me hundreds of dollars. My application, submitted in July was processed timely, and I am taking the history/citizenship test in late March. And they are right - my main reason was that I wanted to have the right to vote in a country where I pay my taxes. I can keep my Swedish citizenship, so don't start calling me 'that American'. And wish me luck on the test.