He’s saved lives as a cardiologist in America. Now, he can vote as a U.S. citizen.
On September 17, Cardiologist Mauricio Anaya, MD, of Meritas Health Cardiology, will celebrate his first Citizenship Day, a federal holiday that commemorates the signing of the U.S. Constitution and recognizes people born in other countries who became U.S. citizens.
Dr. Anaya and his wife, Isabel, had lived in the United States for 15 years before they applied for citizenship. The couple, born in Bolivia, decided to move to the United States in 2007. “I wanted to pursue the best training in the world in medicine and that is in this country,” Dr. Anaya explained. “My wife left her career as a lawyer, so I could follow my path and dreams.”
The path to American citizenship wasn’t an easy one. The couple had to navigate the complex immigration system, which included an application, background check, interview and exam. On June 18, their efforts were rewarded when they became naturalized citizens during an intimate ceremony in their home. Annie Allen and Sarah Boerkircher, spouses of Drew Allen, DO, and Andrew Boerkircher, DO, of Meritas Health Cardiology, planned the celebration.
The Honorable Stephen R. Bough, a federal judge with the Western District of Missouri, presided over the ceremony. Isabel worked as an intern for Judge Bough while attending the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law. She’s expected to graduate with honors in December.
The couple’s children, Isabella and Gabe, attended the naturalization ceremony, and Isabella spoke during the proceedings. “It was wonderful to see what our achievement meant for our children,” Dr. Anaya said. “They were proud of us.”
While Dr. Anaya and Isabel embrace life in this country, they also treasure their Bolivian heritage. “Judge Bough told us while we pledged and adopted the oath of allegiance to this country, we should not abandon the rich heritage from which we have come,” Dr. Anaya explained.
According to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the majority of the 625,400 people who became naturalized citizens in the government’s fiscal year ending September 2020, came from Mexico, India, the Philippines, Cuba and the People’s Republic of China.
