Oath of Allegiance

What is the Oath of Allegiance?

The Oath of Allegiance is the public oath that you will take at your naturalization ceremony.

It says:
“I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty, of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform noncombatant service in the Armed Forces of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law; and that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God.”

I do not understand the Oath of Allegiance. What does it mean?

The Oath asks you to let go of loyalty to the government of your home country. This is important because the U.S. wants its citizens to be loyal to the United States. The Oath also asks you to support the Constitution and to defend its values. This is very important because the Constitution contains the rights and responsibilities for U.S. citizens. The Oath also asks you to defend and uphold these values by being willing to serve in the armed forces and perform work of national importance. When you take the Oath, it should be something you are choosing to do. No one should be forcing you.
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The Pledge of Allegiance

I pledge Allegiance to the flag
of the United States of America
and to the Republic for which it stands,
one nation under God, indivisible,
with Liberty and Justice for all.

The original Pledge of Allegiance was written by Francis Bellamy (1855 - 1931), a Baptist minister, in August 1892. The Pledge was published in the September 8th issue of The Youth's Companion, the leading family magazine and the Reader's Digest of its day. In 1892, Francis Bellamy was also a chairman of a committee of state superintendents of education in the National Education Association. As its chairman, he prepared the program for the public schools' quadricentennial celebration for Columbus Day in 1892. He structured this public school program around a flag raising ceremony and a flag salute - his Pledge of Allegiance.

Other Translations

Spanish:

"Yo prometo lealtad a la bandera
de los estados Unidos de America,
y a la Republica que representa,
una Nacion bajo Dios,
entera,
con libertad y justicia para todos."

French:

J'engage ma fidélité au drapeau des États-Unis d´Amérique et à la République qu'il représente, une nation sous Dieu, indivisible, avec liberté et justice pour tous."

Russian:
Клятва верности Флагу: «Я клянусь в верности Флагу Соединенных Штатов Америки и республике, за которую он стоит, единой нации под Богом, неделимой, со свободой и справедливостью для всех»