Day: June 26, 2018

Tyrone Van Aswegen’s road to U.S. citizenshipTyrone Van Aswegen’s road to U.S. citizenship

When he was 18 years old, Tyrone Van Aswegen traveled more than 9,000 miles from his home in South Africa to the United States to play golf at Oklahoma City University. He became a three-time NAIA All-America, helped lead the Stars to four straight national titles and won the individual crown in 2002. He met his future wife, Cristin, there, too. While he played some in South Africa on the Sunshine Tour early in his pro career, Van Aswegen has made his home in the United States ever since he crossed the Atlantic Ocean as a teenager. So he decided to take the steps required to become an American citizen.  “I just felt like I was fully integrated,â€� Van Aswegen explained. “I know this is my home now. I just felt like it was the right time.â€� So on June 19, 2013, he stood with about 750 other people in San Diego’s Golden Hall, recited the Pledge of Allegiance and was sworn in as a naturalized U.S. citizen. “It was a very awesome day,â€� Van Aswegen remembered. He thinks there were at least 20 different countries represented in the roll call of America’s newest citizens that day. The largest group was from Mexico, then Iraq. He remembers a handful of other South Africans and even someone originally from Lithuania being sworn in. “I didn’t think there were going to be that many citizens,â€� Van Aswegen admitted. And the magnitude of the moment was not lost on any of them. “You get to celebrate with everybody there. It was a good day.â€�  Before starting the process, Van Aswegen, who had had his green card for five years, hired an immigration lawyer to make sure all his paperwork was in order. After his application was received, he had to go to the immigration office and take a citizenship test. Van Aswegen, who is playing this week in the Quicken Loans National near Washington, D.C., enlisted his wife’s aid as he studied the booklet that contained 100 possible questions about United States history and government. He would only be asked 10 and had to get six correct — but he wanted to leave nothing to chance.  “I had my wife randomly selecting questions,â€� Van Aswegen recalled. “It’s multiple choice, so you know, most of the time you can figure out what it is, but some of the dates were tricky.â€� Turns out, Van Aswegen didn’t need to worry. He got the first six questions the immigration officer asked him correct. Ditto for the quote about Columbus Day that he had to write down on paper. That said, it wasn’t all smooth sailing when he went to take the test. Van Aswegen remembered making a bit of a faux pas after he made it through the TSA-caliber security and entered the waiting room. “I’ll never forget I put my phone in between my legs when I sat down and then the guy called me,â€� he said. “So I got up and went through a secure door, walked like 60 yards to his office and when I go to his office I was like, uh sir, I forgot my phone in a waiting area.  “So he was like, he was kind of not in a good mood after that. But I did everything, I think pretty perfect. So it was OK.â€� The swearing-in ceremony in San Diego, where Van Aswegen and his wife lived at the time, came about a month later. When it was over, he applied for his U.S. passport to make things even more official.   “My family’s here and my life is here,â€� said Van Aswegen, who has now lived in the United States as long as he did in South Africa. “This is what I want to be.â€�    Van Aswegen, who tries to visit his family in Johannesburg at least once a year, has taken an active role in his new country. He missed the 2012 presidential election but was able to vote for the first time four years later. “It’s nice to be part of a society and to have a say,â€� Van Aswegen explained. He even remembers getting one of those “I Votedâ€� stickers at the polling place and sticking it on his shirt. A celebratory night out with friends followed.  “It was a proud moment,â€� Van Aswegen said. “I think we celebrated my voting more than celebrated getting my citizenship — not  because I wasn’t proud to be an American.  “But it was just the first time I’d ever voted and it was a cool experience.â€�

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