I’ve been an American for less than three hours as I sit down to write. I drove with my American wife to a nondescript low-rise office building on the outskirts of Baltimore where, along with people from 24 other countries, I swore the naturalization oath of allegiance. 

We were each given our certificates, plus a little national flag, and congratulations from the staff of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. We sang the national anthem and took photographs. It was charming.