'Probably the proudest American': Claremore man born in Mexico shares citizenship story

Jul. 3—Carlos Angon was walking through Will Rogers Library one day when he noticed a flyer for the Rogers County Literacy Council. The flyer advertised the council's resources to prepare people to pass the citizenship test.

Angon wasn't a citizen at the time. He was born in Mexico but had been living in the United States nearly his entire life as a permanent resident. He decided to reach out to the literacy council, "just to see what that's like."

About four months later, in May 2024, he attended the naturalization ceremony recognizing him as a U.S. citizen. Applicants for citizenship are required to pass an English and civics test, as well as take an Oath of Allegiance to the United States.

"With life, the kids ... I kind of put [becoming a citizen] on the back burner," Angon said. "But after I had my kids — we do a lot of history reading and government reading and civics — I realized how important it was for me to have a seat at the table, right?"

Malinda Brown, the council's director, said taking the citizenship test can prove difficult for many because it is only administered in English — except for some seniors who have held green cards for a long time.

But she said it can also be tough for natural-born Americans who speak English as their first language.

"Whenever I have gone out in the community and done a little talk about [the council's services], I always take a little quiz that's 10 questions and give it to my audience to see if they can pass the citizenship test," Brown said. "They're always going, 'Oh no, oh no, oh no.' It's kind of funny, you know, because we take it for granted that we know all the stuff, but maybe we don't."

Angon has spoken English fluently for a long time, and he said his lessons with Brown mostly amounted to getting to know one another and a few practice quizzes.

Angon said his family came to the United States when he was 2 or 3 years old; he's 38 now. The family first lived in Los Angeles, which Angon said started to become too expensive as he grew up. During his junior year of high school, Angon's family visited his aunt in Owasso, and his father decided to move there.

"At first I resented him for that, right, because all of my friends were in LA," Angon said. "But now I wouldn't go back even if they paid me."

He's lived in Oklahoma ever since, finally settling in Claremore after having his first child. His wife, Jessica, was born in Claremore. They own a house west of town and live there with their sons, Oliver and August, whom they homeschool with private tutors.

Angon is a technology consultant, and he said he works remotely from his own office. He's developed two apps: the first allows cannabis dispensaries to send deals to clients, while the second lets contractors leave reviews on homes they service.

He said his experience with technology partially inspired him to reach out to the literacy council, as he wanted to see if he could help make its website more accessible.

"Even though I didn't need [the resources], I still wanted to see what the process was like," Angon said. "What are we teaching? What's the process like for all the people who truly need these resources? ... if I could see a gap, then maybe [I could] even help? Could somebody like me also empower the community?"

Brown said the literacy council's English learning and citizenship test services are completely free. It offers its services through a mix of online and in-person lessons.

She said Angon is "probably the proudest American I've ever known."

Angon said when his family came to the United States, they relinquished their Mexican traditions and adopted American values. He said America runs on immigration.

"That means bringing in people with fresh ideas who are willing to adhere to the code," Angon said. "I think we need to encourage people to remember why this country is No. 1 in the world, right?"

Angon said America was the foundation for him to become who he always knew he was. He said the United States is a place for people to "pursue happiness, achieve dreams and bring ideas to life."

He said all countries, including the United States, are flawed, but it has learned from many of its past mistakes — slavery, segregation, denying women the right to vote. He said embracing diversity and granting equal rights for all has made America great.

"Anyone who's willing to take the journey to come to a place like this is welcome because that's the foundation, right?" Angon said. "People risking everything they have to come to a place like this for a better life; I think that's the secret sauce."