Being an American is more than just passing an exam about United States history and the Constitution. It is more than one’s knowledge and beliefs. Being an American is also about a willingness to put oneself in harm’s way to defend the country. It is about honor and duty. As we observe Veterans Day, we remember with reverence the extraordinary debt we owe to those who have served in uniform and sacrificed, even unto death, for their fellow Americans. This includes the more than 109,000 immigrants who, since Sept. 11, 2001, have become citizens while wearing the uniform of the United States military. They have been part of a rarefied group: the 1 percent of Americans — native-born, naturalized and undocumented immigrants alike — who constitute our military.
All of those undocumented immigrants, through their willingness to shed blood to protect the rest of us, have earned the right to call themselves “American citizen.” Let us honor them this Veterans Day. But let’s also give them a pathway to citizenship. Our military will be the better for it. So will the country.
