Firehouse.com

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Jan. 30--KIRTLAND -- United States citizenship, for many people, happens on the day they are born. For others, it is a long, arduous process encompassing many years.

Heriberto "Eric" Trevizo, 38, can call the United States home after a 21-year journey that ended Friday when he became a citizen during a ceremony at the Valley Fire District Station 1 in Kirtland.

"It is the greatest honor," Trevizo said of becoming a citizen. "It's been a long struggle."

Trevizo, who is a volunteer firefighter, spent hours attending classes and driving back and forth from Albuquerque for meetings and interviews with immigration officials.

"We take it for granted," Trevizo said of being a U.S. citizen. "I come from a country where you can't say anything bad about the president or you'll lose your teeth or get shot."

Originally from Galeana, Chihuahua, Mexico, Trevizo crossed the border in El Paso, Texas, at age 16, in search of his parents.

He made four attempts to cross the border. Trevizo eventually made it by crawling under the fence.

He walked for 15 days in harsh terrain to reach his parents in Nevada, he said.

"My shoes were totally gone and my toes were all bloody," Trevizo said. "I would suck on cactus and rocks to stay hydrated."

He eventually was hired to wash dishes at a restaurant in Glendale, Nev.

Trevizo was on the verge of giving up in the search when one afternoon, while leaning against a tree during a break, a car pulled up to the restaurant.

"Out of the corner of my eye, I heard a car door slam and it was my little sister," Trevizo said, tears welling in his eyes.

Trevizo remembers the first time he ate a hot dog.

"In Mexico we didn't have hot dogs," he said. "In the dictionary, I looked up hot and I looked up dog. I really thought I was eating a wiener dog."

Trevizo is one of thousands of immigrants in the United States who become citizens every year.

More than 1,400 people in New Mexico annually become citizens, said Leslie Coyne, immigration services officer.

The process of naturalization takes about five years for permanent residents and about three for people married to a U.S. citizen, Coyne said.

Applicants must learn English, be able to read and write in the English language, know the history of the country and the government and prove they have a good moral character.

"Capt. Trevizo has passed the test," Coyne said during the ceremony.

The ceremony, which normally is held in Albuquerque, was at the fire station because of Trevizo's long service to the community.

"I decided to become a firefighter and give something back," said Trevizo, who also works as a bounty hunter.

Two years ago, Trevizo received the Medal of Valor award for saving a man trapped in a burning building.

"He thanked me for letting him see his family for few more days," Trevizo said of the man, who eventually died.

Trevizo can vote and is applying for a U.S. Passport. He kissed his green card goodbye as he handed it over to Coyne.

"To be honest, I feel real excited," Trevizo said. "It's a big step."