When did Arnold Schwarzenegger come to USA?
A professional bodybuilder turned Hollywood star, Arnold Schwarzenegger is widely regarded as one of the greatest bodybuilders of all time. The seven-time Mr. Olympia winner also served as the governor of the US state of California between 2003 and 2011 and is considered as an inspiration by many.
Although it was in the US Schwarzenegger found massive success, he was not born in the country. He was born in Austria and dreamt of going to the US since he was ten. The young Schwarzenegger saw bodybuilding as an avenue to fulfill that dream.
In 2002, he told LA Weekly about his American dreams:
"I saw the skyscrapers and the bridges and the highways, and the cars with the fins sticking out and all this stuff. Hollywood. I said, 'What am I doing here on the farm? Oh, God, I‘ve got to move on. How do I move on?',"
The Terminator star won the coveted Mr. Universe title when he just 20. It was in October 1968 at the young age of 21, when he moved to the US, speaking little English.
Schwarzenegger trained at the Gold's Gym in Venice, Los Angeles, and captured his first Mr. Olympia title in New York in 1970. He also graduated with a Bachelor's degree in business administration and marketing from the University of Wisconsin.
Schwarzenegger's bodybuilding, acting and political career blossomed, and his sparkling business ventures and investments would follow in the next few years.
Was Arnold Schwarzenegger an illegal immigrant?
Arnold Schwarzenegger became a US citizen on September 16, 1983, at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. He celebrated the event by clutching miniature US flags in one hand and the other hand draped over his future wife Maria Shriver. He also cut cakes wearing an American flag tank top at his citizenship party.
Before he received his citizenship, Schwarzenegger had asked the Austrian authorities for the right to keep his Austrian citizenship, as Austria does not usually allow dual citizenship. His request was granted.
In 2002, LA Weekly called him the most famous immigrant in the US, who "overcame a thick Austrian accent and transcended the unlikely background of bodybuilding to become the biggest movie star in the world in the 1990s". He also has a star to his name on the prestigious Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Before he officially became a US citizen in 1983, Arnold Schwarzenegger may have been an illegal immigrant in the late 1960s or early 1970s due to violations in the terms of his visa, according to immigration law firm Siskind & Susser.
The immigration laws in the US have been under fire since a long time. Several immigrants have been rallying for reforms in the policies. Arnold Schwarzenegger himself has been in support of comprehensive immigration reform. He spoke about it in an interview with Men's Health in 2019:
"I don't blame anybody that tries to come here illegally,"
He has been outspoken about the same, even taking to social media in 2018. He explained his unique position as an immigrant who is also a governor.
As an immigrant, I know the magnetic power of America's greatness. As a former border Governor, I know the importance of securing our border and fixing our absurdly broken immigration system. As an American, I know that kids shouldn't be pawns while the "adults" figure it out.
He spoke about fixing the immigration system amidst the increasing outcries to abolish the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, or Ice in 2018.
"The administration is right that we need to fix our immigration system. But if anybody is going to be in a cage while we wait for a comprehensive reform, let’s make it the politicians who don’t do their jobs in the cages, not innocent kids."