For Arnold Schwarzenegger, there’s nothing more American than celebrating 40 years of U.S. citizenship with a post on social media.
The bodybuilder-turned-actor-turned-politician-turned avid donkey owner posted a series of photos this weekend that chronicled his time growing up in Austria before he arrived here in 1968 — all while audio of his speech from the 2004 Republican National Convention plays in the background.
Schwarzenegger became a citizen on Sept. 17, 1983.
“My fellow Americans, this an amazing moment for me,” it begins. “To think that a once scrawny boy from Austria could grow up to become governor of the state of California, that is an immigrant’s dream. 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 right hand and I took the oath of citizenship. You know how proud I was? I was so proud that I walked around with the American flag around my shoulders all day long.”
The gallery also includes photos of Schwarzenegger as a youth growing up in Austria, as California’s governor, and as a family man.
“It is one of the proudest days of my life,” Schwarzenegger wrote. “I owe everything to America. Born in Austria, Made in America!”
Schwarzenegger recently made his series television debut in Netflix’s spy adventure series Fubar, which was renewed for a second season.
Fubar centers on a CIA operative on the verge of retirement who discovers a family secret and is forced to go back into the field for one last job. The series tackles universal family dynamics set against a global backdrop of spies, action and humor.
