RCBC Biology Instructor Dr. Prachi Narayan, and her husband Satyakam Narayan, were one of 100 immigrants who became United States citizens at Rowan College at Burlington County last month, completing a journey that began 20 years ago when the family arrived from India in post-9/11 America.

After moving from India in 2003, after just giving birth, she was limited to job opportunities solely based on her visa status. In India, Prachi earned a medical degree and became a renowned doctor. Throughout the moving process, she had hoped her education and experience would transfer seamlessly, but the process was hindered due to delays caused by having only a dependent visa and a newborn. 

After the 9/11 terrorist attacks on homeland soil, emotions and walls rose high in America, causing fear and judgment towards individuals from outside the United States. As a result of such caution, dependent visas, known as H4 visas, like the one Prachi had, were extremely limited to what career and job non-citizens were allowed to have. 

The Narayan family faced multiple obstacles during their relocation, including a delay in their career opportunities and issues while traveling. During their move, they frequently traveled to India to visit family, but were often subjected to long wait times of at least three hours while their paperwork was reviewed and approved by immigration officials. "With a newborn child and having a difficult time navigating the area, it was absolute torture,” Narayan said. 

For seven years, they could not exit the country because they were still in the process of obtaining their green cards. Prachi’s parents were not granted visitation visas, causing them to miss special moments together, which was upsetting.

Prachi and her husband expanded their family in America, where they encountered a vastly different education system and lifestyle than in India. She comments, "Once my kids got used to it here, how could I take them away? But, it's funny now that my kids are older; they love to visit India and even want to live there for a few years."  

In 2011, Prachi was hired as an anatomy and physiology instructor at RCBC, marking her first job in America. She was thrilled to be a teacher at the school, which allowed her to bridge the gap between her time off as a new mother and newcomer to the country while providing her with growth opportunities.

The college hosts citizenship ceremonies as part of its Constitution Week activities and had a special opportunity to celebrate with the Narayans as they earned their United States citizenship with excitement about blending their Indian traditions with their newfound patriotism.