Bridging worlds: My journey to dual citizenship

It’s official — I am a dual citizen: Thai and American!

I’ve lived between worlds my whole life. My mother is from Thailand, I was born in the U.S., and my life has been a constant exercise in bridging cultures — code-switching through technology, language, and community.

But this is the first time both of my countries have officially recognized me as their own. There’s something magical about birthright citizenship, about signing my name in Thai characters earlier today and feeling the weight of heritage and identity.

This isn’t just a legal status — it’s deeply personal. It’s for my three sons, so they know they come from strong roots. It’s for others like me — third-culture kids who’ve felt the tension of not being “enough” in either world. Today, I’m proud to be Thai, proud to be American, and proud to carry both passports — and both identities — forward.

This milestone marks the end of a year-long journey, including two visits to Thailand to complete the process. And now, the real work begins: building bridges and empowering communities in both countries. Whether through Rotary, connecting youth across continents, or through AI and technology to tackle real-world challenges in health care and education, this dual identity gives me the platform to bring people together.

Sometimes, you don’t have to choose between parts of yourself. Sometimes, you can embrace them all. And I believe the world needs more of that right now.

Thankful for support

I’m deeply grateful to those who supported me along the way — my parents, my wife, Elizabeth Musick Elwood, my aunties and uncles (Na Usa, Na Kamon, Na Pae, Nong Oil, Nong Ekk), my three boys (Josh, Andrew, Michael), and my friends Thirathorn Sucharikul and Nickolina (Nikki) Ly.

My father deserves special mention. Together, we’ve lived in Thailand, Indonesia, the Netherlands, and even Louisiana (which sometimes feels like another country).

He made enormous sacrifices — even living alone in Borneo so my sister could finish high school in Bangkok. Just last week, I returned from our latest adventure, working on the Elwood family ranch.

It’s 640 acres of quiet (no cell signal) where I planted 1,500 garlic seeds, got our 1929 Ford Model A running, canned tomato juice, and hunted down property lines. It’s a world away from my AI business in Michigan, and exactly the kind of grounding I needed.

That grounding helped me prepare for my meeting with the Thai consul general. How do you prepare for something like that? For me, it was Thai silk, Michigan fudge (a gift from my friend Pep), and a little help from AI.

I was nervous — what do you wear to a diplomatic meeting? What do you say? In the end, I showed up in my Thai silk shirt, carrying fudge and an AI-crafted story powered by GPT-4.1-mini on Azure AI Foundry.

We talked about AI-augmented education at West Ottawa, cancer theranostics at BAMF Health, robotics in greenhouses, and AI in FinTech. The consul general lit up when we discussed international schools like ISB and how AI is giving students curiosity, agency, and acceleration.

West Michigan is quietly becoming an AI powerhouse — and this week, we put it on Thailand’s radar.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned from this journey, it’s this: you don’t have to be perfect. You just have to show up — ready to build bridges, powered by culture, connection, and maybe a sprinkle of AI dust.

Holland resident Charles Elwood is a longtime West Michigan volunteer and the new president of the West Michigan Asian American Association. He’s a Microsoft AI MVP.

Charles Elwood at the Royal Thai Consulate General in Chicago.