Stu Bykofsky: No griping about America from this group of immigrants

TONY BENNETT LEFT his heart in San Francisco. Sungmin Jang left his name, his culture and his career in South Korea to bet his future on the United States of America, but he's not complaining.

Now known as James Jang, he was among 25,000 foreigners embraced by America in naturalization ceremonies held during a week that included Constitution Day.

I talked to James, 33, and his wife, Christine, 30, after he had taken the oath of allegiance that very day, Sept. 16, at the National Constitution Center. James was grinning and clutching his precious citizenship certificate.

For Asians, qualifying for citizenship is especially difficult. In addition to a new language and customs, they must learn a new alphabet. In our chat, James often deferred to Christine, whose English is better than his.

As is often true for legal immigrants, the citizenship process was long and costly. Christine and James were members of the same church in Korea and were friends, but just friends. Christine and her family arrived here in 2001, achieving citizenship five years later and $30,000 lighter, much spent on legal fees.

That is a lot of money - too much, really - but they are not complaining, because a door to their dreams had opened.

James arrived in 2004 on a student visa. After he and Christine saw each other, what had been an old friendship blossomed into a new love in a new land.

It cost James seven years and $2,000 to become an American, but he's not complaining.

I asked James - he Americanized his name; his children are Daniel, 3, and Grace, 1 - what motivated him to leave his old life to launch a new one.

"American dream," he replied quickly, then, chastened by a look from Christine, he quickly added, "And I love her." Yes, men are men everywhere and sometimes need a poke to order their priorities.

Before marriage and motherhood, Christine attended Delaware Technical & Community College, then worked in accounting and customer service.

James, a university graduate, now works in a warehouse, a far throw from his job in South Korea as a TV director. He's not complaining, because he knows that his English is not good and that English will help him succeed.