Friends and family gathered at Tucson’s Saguaro National Park on the Fourth of July for a special naturalization ceremony to welcome 25 new Americans.
The 25 citizenship candidates Thursday represented 23 countries including Algeria, Belgium, Botswana, Brazil, Canada, Columbia, Conga, Egypt, Greece, India, Jamaica, South Korea, Lebanon, Liberia, Mexico, Nepal, Nicaragua, Philippines, Russia, Spain, Taiwan, United kingdom, and Vietnam.
“What can possibly be more American than becoming an American citizen on July 4? Well, possibly becoming an American citizen on July 4 in a national park,” said Scott Stonum, the park’s superintendent.
The ceremony was presided over by U.S. District Magistrate Bruce Macdonald, who had a heartfelt message for the new citizens.
“I’m truly humbled and honored to be part of this special day with all of you. As this room so wonderfully demonstrates, we are a country of immigrants,” Macdonald said. “Our country is a better country today because of all of you.”
For many of the new Americans, this day had been a long time in the making.
Xaioming Cheng and her husband Rick Hsu both came to the United States 15 years ago for grad school.
“We traveled about the same journey to get here, for studying mostly,” Cheng said.
Hsu came to the U.S. from Taiwan, and Cheng came from mainland China. For the last decade, they have been able to stay and make a life in the states through job and education visas. This year they both were gained citizenship after a long and complicated process.
“Citizenship has taken us maybe five years since we got a green card,” Hsu said.
Hsu said gaining his citizenship was like a release, and they both agreed that it was a relief to not have to consider how to stay in the country in the future.
To celebrate, they planned to watch the Independence Day fireworks in Tucson.
The ceremony was also an emotional experience for some participants.
“Actually, I kind of teared up,” said Barbara Giles, who has been living in the U.S. with her husband Barry Verezowsky since 2017.
Giles said her new citizenship will give them more freedom to visit the couple’s family and four children.
“I think citizenship for Canadians just means even more freedom than we already have. Because now we can freely travel between the countries,” Giles said. “It just gives us that much more flexibility.”
The ceremony held at the park’s Red Hills Visitor Center was one of many naturalization ceremonies held Thursday across the country, according to Mark Gaston, a U.S Citizenship and Immigration Services spokesman.
“We’re doing ceremonies across the United States, and looking at maybe 10,500 people becoming new citizens,” Gaston said.
“Today, there is much to celebrate,” Stonum said.
“But most importantly, we celebrate, America’s newest citizens, on this Fourth of July.”
