America is Sophia Lee’s third home. She grew up in two Asian countries: South Korea and Singapore. That’s about as far from the United States as you can get! But today Sophia waves an American flag high in the air. She lets out a cheer. She is finally an American citizen!

Are you a citizen? A citizen is a member of a country. Sometimes becoming a citizen is easy. You just have to be born! Let’s say you were born in the United States. That would make you a U.S. citizen. Let’s say your parents were born in the United States. That would make you a U.S. citizen too.

But what about people who moved to the United States from another country? Sophia was one of those people. She had to apply for citizenship.

Sophia had to prove she could write a sentence in English. An immigration officer asked her questions like, “How many amendments does the Constitution have?” It was like a test at school. And Sophia knew the right answers.

Now that she is a U.S. citizen, Sophia has certain rights. She can worship in any way she chooses. She can vote in U.S. elections. She can work in the United States. She can get paid. If you are a U.S. citizen, you have those rights too.

But Sophia also has new responsibilities. She must obey laws. She must pay taxes. She must respect the rights of others.

Which country are you a member of? What are your rights? What are your responsibilities?