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September 18, 2008 1:42 PM

Going All In: The Story Of Becoming A U.S. Citizen

(CBS/John Filo)
Hari Sreenivasan is a CBS News correspondent based in Dallas.
I became a U.S. Citizen today. There were 507 others with me this morning at a convention center in Dallas, Texas. They came from 66 different countries; each with their own stories, here's a slice of mine.

I immigrated here in 1981 – and have had the right to become a citizen for more than 20 years, but I've struggled with the concepts of citizenship and identity; cultural and political, so taking today's oath was a long time coming.

Even through the application process I was unsure whether or not shifting allegiances from my country of birth was right for me. I downloaded the forms this January, stared at them all of February, filled them out in March, and after a long 20 minutes outside a mailbox in April, I finally dropped them in.

India has given me ...

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sreenivasan ,
india ,
american ,
citizen
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Out Of Office
August 14, 2008 11:19 AM

Katie Couric's Notebook: Glimmer Of Hope

In his new book "The Way We'll Be," pollster John Zogby tries to define that zeitgeist for America today, to find out where we are now and where we're going.

We don't need a pollster to tell us that the American Dream is changing. But what do we have to look forward to?

Click on the monitor to watch my full Notebook.
Tags:
notebook ,
katie couric ,
pollster ,
american dream ,
zeitgeist
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Katie Couric's Notebook
August 6, 2007 1:04 PM

Katie: Giving Newborns "A Good Start"

(CBS)
Joseph Epstein, an activist and leader of the French resistance during World War II said,
(CBS)
Joseph Epstein, an activist and leader of the French resistance during World War II said, “We do not choose to be born. We do not choose our parents. We do not choose our historical epoch, the country of our birth, or the immediate circumstances of our upbringing.”

Every day in this country, over 2,000 babies are born into poverty. For their mothers – often very young themselves – the prospect of parenthood can seem scary and overwhelming, especially if they’re facing it alone. As a single parent myself, I know first-hand how challenging it can be raising children without a second parent, as invested in a child’s future as you are. I know it must be that much harder for those who are financially strapped and don’t have an adequate support system.

But the Nurse-Family Partnership is lightening the load by sending registered nurses out to visit first-time mothers in high-risk, low-income households. For the thousands of moms in the program, that friendly knock at the door means help has arrived. Sure, they’re health professionals. But the NFP nurses wear many more hats than the one that used to be worn by Florence Nightingale. One young mother I met in Brooklyn, New York for tonight's story told me her nurse was the closest thing she had to the mother she lost as a child. These nurses supply advice, but also friendship, comfort and confidence.

This program wasn’t created by a philanthropist or a politician. It was created by a psychologist -- one who grew up in poverty. David Olds came from a broken home, but dedicated his life to fixing thousands of others’. Ask David what he calls the 30-plus years he’s spent refining the Nurse- Family Partnership into the success story it is today, and he’ll say, “It’s a good start.”

And that’s what a countless number of newborns have, thanks to him.
Tags:
nurse ,
american spirit ,
katie couric
Topics:
Field Notes

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