Arnold Schwarzenegger has officially been a citizen of the United States of America for 40 years.
Arnie was born in Thal, Austria on 30 July 1947. He moved to the United States in 1968 and officially became a U.S. citizen in 1983, which led to his 40th anniversary celebrations recently.
“On this day 40 years ago, I became an American citizen. It is one of the proudest days of my life. I owe everything to America. Born in Austria, made in America!” he wrote on Instagram.
His social media post was accompanied by several pictures of the day in 1983 as well as a video in which he opened up about his journey as an American as well as providing some encouraging words for immigrants arriving to the country.
“My fellow Americans, this an amazing moment for me. To think a once-scrawny boy from Austria could grow up to become governor of the state of California, that is an immigrant’s dream,” Schwarzenegger said in the clip.
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“In school when the teacher would talk about America, I would daydream about coming here. I would daydream about living here.
“As long as I live, I will never forget the day when I raised my hand for the oath of citizenship. You know how proud I was? I was so proud that I walked around with the American flag wrapped around my shoulder all day long.
“I finally arrived here in 1968. What a special day it was. I remember I arrived here with empty pockets but full of dreams, full of determination and full of desire. Everything about America seemed so big to me, so open, so possible
“To my fellow immigrants listening tonight, I want you to know how welcome you are. We encourage your dreams. We believe in your future."
Schwarzenegger went on to become one of the biggest movie stars of all time, starring in iconic movies like The Terminator, Predator, Total Recall, True Lies and Twins.
In 2003, he successfully entered politics by becoming the governor of California. He has previously stated a desire to become the president of the United States, but unfortunately for him, he is ineligible due to being born in a different country.
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