Hollywood star Arnold Schwarzenegger has penned a heartfelt note on the 40th anniversary of becoming a US citizen, saying that he owes everything to America.
Sharing images of his journey from a young boy in Austria to becoming an American citizen in a reel on Instagram, the 76-year-old wrote, “On this day 40 years ago, I became an American citizen. It is one of the proudest days of my life. I owe everything to America. Born in Austria, made in America.”
His Instagram reel takes us through his transformation from being a bodybuilder to turning into an actor and then becoming a politician. It also shows his familial side with images of his kids.
The video documents his life before and after he came to America, with a picture of him taking the oath of US citizenship in 1983. His speech at the 2004 Republican National Convention in New York City plays in the background as the pictures show his rise to fame and power in the US.
“My fellow Americans, this an amazing moment for me. To think that a once scrawny boy from Austria could grow up to become governor of the state of California, that is an immigrant’s dream. In school when the teacher would talk about America, I would daydream about coming here. I would daydream about living here. As long as I live, I will never forget the day when I raised my right hand and I took the oath of citizenship. You know how proud I was? I was so proud that I walked around with the American flag around my shoulders all day long,” Schwarzenegger said in the speech.
The former Mr Olympia became a US citizen on September 17, 1983.
