As election season nears and the tragedy of September 11 is brought back to the forefront of our collective consciousness, there is no better time of the year to examine what makes us Americans.

It is about more than simply the place we live, as is evidenced by the members of our armed forces and other ambassadors, dignitaries and officials stationed in foreign lands. Being American also isn’t as simple as where we were born, and in Bellevue, 46 individuals put both of those truths on display.

The city hosted its second annual ceremony to recognize newly naturalized citizens this week and the second annual event was again well received by a community that includes more than 30 percent foreign-born residents, including Mayor Conrad Lee.

Individuals from 25 countries, five continents and a host of cultural and ethnic backgrounds sat together as officials from USCIS, the Bellevue Downtown Association and even President Obama (via video recording) delivered congratulations on the completion of a process that in many ways defines the American spirit.

I too, am a naturalized citizen, though that is where the similarities between myself and these 46 ends. While my own status was assured by the love and dedication of my parents, these individuals did the work on their own, passing exams on Civics, learning about American history and most tellingly, forfeiting their citizenship status in their native country.

While there are still pockets of this great land where nativism and ethnocentrism remain the earmarks for what defines an American, cities like Bellevue and regions like the Eastside put the true definition on display.

And each year, the rest of us get a fresh perspective on what makes us Americans.