Only those who really want citizenship will get it. And when they do, they enjoy a satisfaction that most other Americans can never experience. This process of naturalization, and the accumulation of enough cultural capital to acquire citizenship, ultimately yields more than a set of political entitlements. It infuses new citizens with a sense of duty and loyalty to their new home. With so many new applications for citizenship, however, the INS is threatening to lower its standards to the point where naturalization is no longer a meaningful experience.
Naturalization receives little sustained attention from academics, politicians, and the media.
Perhaps as a consequence, our notion of citizenship has cheapened since the turn of the century. Like a school that advances failing students to the next grade, the INS now pressures its examiners to push potential citizens through the system quickly, even if they are questionable candidates. Agents hint that their superiors are more concerned about meeting a quota than making sure everybody does a good, thorough job. If I want to take a little extra time to check something, it really backs things up. We're always behind, even if things go smoothly.