It took nearly 30 years for Angie Lang to become a citizen — and Tuesday marked the London-born Brewton resident’s first trip to the poll to vote for president of the United States.
“The first thing I thought was that now that I’ve cast my vote, my candidate will win,” Lang said Tuesday afternoon. “I feel like by voting I can express my opinions.”
Lang, who brought her two children to the United States in 1979, said the opportunity to vote came after she passed a test and was sworn in as a U.S. citizen in May 2007.
“I had the chance to vote in 2008, but circumstances kept me from voting then,” Lang said. “I was never into politics much, but I was always on my soap box about what was right.”
Michelle Hart, Lang’s daughter, said she had the opportunity to vote before her mother.
“I got my citizenship before she did,” Hart said. “Because I was married to American citizen, I was naturalized and got my citizenship papers five years before she did. This year was the second time I have been able to vote.”
Lang said the trials she endured while trying to become a U.S. citizen caused her grief on several occasions.
“It was awful,” Lang said of the process. “I was almost in tears about delays. My paperwork was lost at one point and we had to start over during the 1990s. Here I was, coming to America to be with my biological father and to start a new life with my children and there were problems after problems. Then, after 9/11 happened, they just didn’t want to hear anything about citizenship.”
Although the task of becoming a citizen was daunting, Lang had many supporters who helped her along with way — with her daughter making a fateful call that would change her status quickly.
“When I went to work at the (Brewton) Chamber of Commerce, I was able to be in touch with (U..S. Rep.) Jo Bonner and his representatives,” Hart said. “I made one call and Bonner’s office got right to work. Within a month, she got the letter telling her where to go to be sworn in as a citizen.”
Lang said she was elated with the news and made the trip to Mobile for the citizenship test and to be sworn in as a citizen.
“The test was hard and I studied everything,” Lang said. “It was a long journey and it cost so many years of work and a lot of money to become a citizen. Citizenship here did not come free.”
Lang said her faith in God and the love of her family has gotten her to the point that helped her achieve the goal of becoming a citizen and voting to select a leader.
“I know that God does not want me, as a Christian, to be a doormat,” Lang said. “I raised my children to be Godly and I am blessed to have a Godly husband. Johnny (Lang) has been my rock. He helped me with voting and I owe a lot to him.”
Lang said she planned to watch the election returns to see who would win the first election of which she was a part.
“I’m half American and American blood runs through me,” Lang said. “American blood runs through me. I know I had a hand in this American election.”