Family's long road to citizenship ended with 'relief'

Geoff and Sandy Burns have said the Pledge of Allegiance hundreds of times since arriving in the United States from South Africa in 1995.

When the time came to put their hands over their hearts and recite the pledge on Oct. 13, 2017, it felt different and emotion overcame the Poplar Bluff couple.

The Burns were officially American citizens 22 years later after reciting the words they had said so many times before.

"When the flag is up, now that's my flag," Geoff said.

The realization of the accomplishment is still "surreal," he added.

"I was crying because you actually belong and now I'm allowed to be here," Sandy said. "I have every right to be here and the same rights as everyone else."

Much like having a birthday, Sandy said following her naturalization ceremony everyone told her she wouldn't "feel" any different, but she did.

"It's hard to explain because you have lived in the country and participated in everything, but after all those years of not knowing and the chance of being kicked out at anytime ... it was a relief," she said.

Geoff echoed the feeling of relief after being sworn in with his wife in 2017 to officially become an American citizen.

"When you put your hand up and are sworn in, it's a relief," he said. "It's an amazing feeling. It's something you worked for and something you wanted."

Becoming American citizens the right way was very important to the Burns.

"Like everything, when you are given something and don't work for it, you don't appreciate it," Geoff said. "We worked and earned it. We did everything you are suppose to. We wanted it and we got it and it was such an accomplishment."

Born in Holland and raised in South Africa after her father was offered a job, Sandy met Geoff at a dance through a friend. About a week later, the two went to prom together and eventually got married.

In 1995, Sandy was offered an occupational therapy job in Georgia.

"At the time, things in South Africa were up and down, so with a newborn baby it was time to go," she said.

Geoff stayed behind for a month to complete the couple's wrap-up of their South Africa life. Sandy, along with her mother for help, set off to Georgia with the couple's 8-month-old daughter, Chantelle.

While in Georgia, the couple welcomed a son, Bryson, who is now 20 years old and is studying accounting at Central Methodist University.

Sandy came to the United States on an eight-month work visa and was told if the family liked the U.S., they could stay.

"We stayed because we liked America," Geoff said.

In 1998, the Burns family came to Poplar Bluff. Sandy was offered another job opportunity as an occupational therapist and both children graduated from Poplar Bluff High School.

The couple began their journey to obtaining citizenship the "hard" way, Geoff said.

"It took a long time and a lot of money," he said. "But there is nothing better than seeing people with their hands over their hearts."

The long journey to become Americans began when a company the couple was set up with told them the process would take 18 months and $1,800.

After never seeing any results, Geoff said the couple hired their own lawyer for help with the process, but still ran into difficulties.

"So many things happened, like 9-11 happened, so we just kept getting put on a waiting list," he said. "We were in the system, but we kept getting pushed back."

The Burns continued to renew their Green Cards and while in limbo of their own citizenship, struggled with getting their daughter's process on the right track as well.

Chantelle, now 23, lives in Jonesboro, Arkansas, working full-time and studying for her master's degree in exercise science at Arkansas State University.

While Geoff and Sandy went through a St. Louis office for their citizenship, Chantelle was rerouted through a Memphis, Tennessee, office because of her location.

Chantelle's journey to citizenship seemed to be progressing quicker than her parents, but things came to a halt for no real reason after completing her biometrics appointment.

She was not able to complete the process until Sept. 7, 2018, almost a year later than her parents.

Even though relief came when Geoff and Sandy received their citizenship in Oct. 2017, the stress did not fade until Chantelle also completed the process.

"When she finally got (citizenship) it was a relief," Geoff said. "Now we are all Americans."

While the three accomplished the same goal, Sandy said the two ceremonies were different, but equally emotional and very special.

Geoff and Sandy travelled to St. Louis for their ceremony on Oct. 13, 2017. Chantelle and Bryson were in attendance, along with friends from Poplar Bluff.

"It was a big event," Sandy said of the ceremony.

The couple was assigned seats and did not get to sit by one another during the ceremony.

"Everyone was sworn in at the same time, but I got my paper first," Sandy said smiling at Geoff.

While attending Chantelle's ceremony in Memphis, Sandy recalled the person passing out the certificates asking the blonde hair, blue eyed girl if she was in fact from South Africa.

After Chantelle replied, "yes," Sandy said conversations began with her while others waited to receive their certificate.

"It was a proud moment seeing our daughter up there," she said.

Before the entire family was American citizens, Sandy and both children took a trip to Europe. She wanted her kids to see where her mother lived and some of the places she lived while growing up.

The three received some looks when going through customs with an assortment of passports, Sandy said.

Her European passport was maroon, Bryson's American passport was blue and Chantelle's South African passport was green while all three showed the same last name.

"It's a long story," Sandy told the man at customs looking over the three passports with confusion. "But now we all get to have the same color!"

As a 25th wedding anniversary present, the entire family used their same colored passports and took a trip back to South Africa in September.

Geoff and Sandy were able to show their children the beautiful side of South Africa and where the family began.

Once landing in South Africa, Sandy said she could feel "a wildness in the air," and was happy to visit, but had no desire to return to South Africa to live.

This past April, Geoff was able to participate in an American right for the first time, voting.

"That was an amazing feeling and I could vote for someone I know," he said. "I was doing my duty and something I have the right to do. It's meaningful."

Another American first for the couple came when they arrived in Georgia and celebrated Thanksgiving.

Geoff explained turkey was not a big food in South Africa and the couple normally ate chicken, sheep, pork and lamb.

The Burns have immersed themselves in American traditions and have had turkey during Thanksgiving, but still prefer chicken.

"We took this as being an American tradition, so that's how it is," Geoff said. "I'm a very big fan of when I left South Africa, I didn't bring South Africa with me."

Geoff went on to say he's not taking anything away, but when it comes to a holiday and a certain tradition, he wants to maintain the American way.

"When we decided to stay here I wanted to be American," he said.

The biggest difference in Christmas in South Africa compared to America was the season, the couple said.

"Christmas is in the summer, so we would barbecue and swim in the pool," Sandy said. "Everything else stays the same. You got family and friends, trees, presents and the whole thing, but it's hot."

Driving in America took a bit of an adjustment for the couple when first arriving 23 years ago.

People in South Africa must be 18 years old to receive a driver's license and most drive a manual vehicle, which is even designated on the person's license.

Geoff explained if a person had "manual" on their license they could drive it or an automatic, but if the license said "automatic," the person could not drive a manual.

In South Africa, everyone drove on the left side of the road, so Sandy admitted she caught herself on the wrong side a couple times in the U.S.

When the Burns family left South Africa, there were no 24-hours stores.

"Just because" he could, Geoff snuck out of bed and went shopping after first arriving in Georgia.

Completing their American dream as a family, the Burns treasure the country's patriotic freedoms and policies.

Geoff and Sandy can't hide their frustration when hearing people come into the county illegally after they "did it the right way."

Wanting something for free is not the way to achieve the American dream and Sandy pointed out not being allowed to go to any other county and do the same.

To achieve citizenship, you must go through the process, work and you will be fine, Sandy stressed.

"We were asked to come here to fill a need and it still took us this long," she said.

The frustration not only comes from people trying to enter illegally, but Geoff also said it hurts him to see Americans give up their county when they don't realize "how bad it is in other places."

"This is one of the best countries to live in," he said. "I would never exchange living in American for anything."