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Mon. Oct 7th, 2024
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Long an Angel, now an American citizen – Daily News

By Matthew. Jr

If you’re a baseball fan in Southern California, you know about Rod Carew, the former California Angel; ex-Minnesota Twin, because he is one of the best hitters to ever lay eyes on the bat.

If you’ve had childhood leukemia and needed a special bone marrow transplant, you might know about Carew—or even i know the guy — because he’s spent much of the past few decades raising awareness and raising money and finding transplant donations for people dealing with your often-lethal battle. Michelle’s daughter died of the disease at 18.

If you were a big league wannabe and grew up in Panama; a Minnesota Marine Reserve; a child connected to a Minneapolis charity in the mid-1970s; you may know Carew because he was held up as an example to you, served beside you, or gave you money.

And on Friday, Aug. 23, in an otherwise unremarkable boardroom at the bottom of the federal building in Santa Ana, you might have met Carew in an entirely different way — as a new member of what officials refers to as “the American family”.

“It’s taken a lifetime, a great lifetime, but I’m in it,” said Carew, smiling slyly, as some bigwigs from the US Citizenship and Immigration Services rushed in behind him before making him repeat the “Pledge of Allegiance”.

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Former Angels star and Hall of Famer Rod Carew, who was born in Panama, after taking the oath of allegiance to become a U.S. citizen in Santa Ana, CA, on Friday, August 23, 2024. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Registration/SCNG)

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A few minutes later—after holding his hand to his heart, he spoke the arcane but strangely moving passage required of all naturalized Americans, and after witnesses rose to recite the Pledge of Allegiance and listen to a recording of ” Star-Spangled Banner” – Carew spread his arms wide and told the room:

“I AM an American citizen.”

About 50 people, friends, family and fellow Angels legend Bobby Grich cheered.

It seems that at 78, Carew’s often surprising life has taken yet another plot twist.

Although he has lived in New York since the age of 13 and although he missed about 100 games early in his big league career to fulfill his summer obligations as a member of the US Marine Reserves and even though he traveled back to the country his native Panama (with a Panamanian passport) to visit family and play role model for young ballplayers, he did all this as a green card holder. The guy who was born in a “colored” car on a train in Panama, who became a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame, was not an American citizen.

The road to change began about four months ago during a lunch with former Angels vice president of communications Tim Mead. Carew – sharp and friendly but doesn’t suffer fools – mentioned to Mead that he wasn’t a citizen and that it kind of bothered him. Mead, himself born in Greece and an American since the age of 6, began to do what Mead is known to do – quietly help his friend.

This soon led to Carew meeting with a local immigration attorney, entering his documents into the system and, yes, getting THE guide—with about 20 questions related to American history and civics—to prepare him for the test required of all citizenship candidates.

According to Carew and his family, he solved the preparation questions before his meeting with the officials and taking the oral exam.

“When we got to the actual test, the first question the guy asked was not on the list. I was baffled,” Carew said, shaking his head to illustrate a bit of self-displeasure.

No, he can’t remember which question he missed. But, yes, he remembers passing all the others, including the one about the California state capitol that briefly looked like it might shoot him, too.

“They have a professional basketball team,” Carew said, his face reliving the bewilderment. “Oh, yes, Sacramento.”

The other requirements – to be of “good moral character” and to speak passable English – he has already met.

Carew replied “why now?” direct question. “Because this is my country, the greatest country in the world, and it has given me so much.”

He added that “a lot of people feel that way.”

Carew, who lives in Irvine with the help of a transplanted heart and transplanted kidney and a new knee (“I’m the ‘bionic man!'”) has some plans for his new status. The trip, he said, is the first. “I want to go to Barbados. That’s where my grandparents were born,” he said. “And France,” he added, looking at his family. “My wife says France is beautiful, so we’re going there.”

And then?

“On the vote,” he said.

“This country is going through tough times, but they will pass,” he said. “The idea that we are immigrants and that we have value will come back. I believe.”

By Matthew. Jr

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