A Journey to Achieve the American Dream

Kid Reporter talks to her mom about becoming a citizen

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In September, Kid Reporter Hannah Prensky's mom, Cristina, became a United States citizen. Cristina grew up in communist Romania in the 1970s and '80s. Life was hard under Nicolae Ceausescu's dictatorship, the most brutal in Eastern Europe. What people missed the most was being able to speak their minds and the freedom to choose a different kind of government.

Towards the end of the '80s, the hardships had become unbearable. Romanians were suffering from hunger and cold, and were imprisoned for political reasons. Many tried to escape out of the country, but were caught, jailed and sometimes killed by the authorities. In 1989, the people of Romania rose up and began a revolution that ended communism in the country.

As a student after the Revolution, Cristina helped organize a national network of election observers to monitor Romania's first free elections in 1990 and 1992. Later, she was involved in the civic and political life and worked as a BBC journalist.

In 1998, Cristina moved with her husband and daughter to Warsaw, Poland. That's where Hannah was born. Almost 10 years later, in 2006, Hannah and her family moved to the United States.

Hannah recently sat down with her mom to talk about growing up under communism, coming to the U.S., becoming a citizen, and why it was important for her to get her American citizenship. Click Play Video to watch their interview!

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