Friday, July 4, 2008

Congratulations to our newest Americans

They were born in 39 different countries - from Afghanistan to Jamaica to Guyana - but yesterday, they stood side by side in Manhattan and became Americans together.

IMMI-GREAT DAY TO BECOME A CITIZEN

Surrounded by friends and relatives who cheered and waved the Stars and Stripes, 122 men and women recited an oath of allegiance on the day before the Fourth of July and received certificates declaring them to be US citizens.

Many of the new citizens said they were motivated to go through the naturalization process - which includes a lengthy exam on American history - because of the upcoming presidential elections.

Ursula Melo, 31, who is from Peru, said she was going to register to vote immediately after the ceremony.

"The most important reason I wanted to do this was so I could vote. That's what motivated me the most," she said. "Peru was the place to see me born, but this is my home now."


They came here legally and are now legal citizens. What a wonderful thing.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Bravo! Welcome to the United States.
Few people realize the value of real freedom unless they have been deprived of freedom first.
Come legally, obey the laws, learn about your new country, become good citizens.
Happy Independence Day everyone.

Anonymous said...

Many of them were able to become citizens because of a random lottery. Others who are just as deserving and wanting to be citizens are not allowed just because of random luck. This is how we should handle immigration? We should be allowing hundreds of thousands to become citizens, especially those with higher educations and meet standards showing they want to be Americans (willingness to learn English, for example) instead of the tens of thousands that we now allow through a lottery.

Anonymous said...

Actually, I thought we needed more lower class immigrants because "Americans don't want those jobs anymore." Americans certainly do want higher paying jobs that require more education. So a lottery may be the only option to legally meet our needs.

Anonymous said...

This is the greatest point of our country, to be a beacon of hope for the world.

We should always allow people to become citizens, and this board, in posting things like this, goes a long away to despelling slander from the machine that this community is racist.

Afterall, we are all of immigrant stock.

Remember: 'American Citizen' is the most wonderful title in the world.

Anonymous said...

Can you believe that? There actually IS a way for a person from a foreign country to request and get permission to enter the US.

On top of that, these LEGAL IMMIGRANTS can actually follow some steps to become CITIZENS.

All that without doing lawnwork or nannying or cooking for the privileged superior classes. And, without crossing any border to invade this country illegally.

Maybe there is a God, after all.

Anonymous said...

I am happy to hear that there are still people who realize what a privilege it is to live in the greatest country in the world.

My grandfather came from Italy in the 1950s and I never once saw an Italian flag in the house. He flew an American flag out front. In 1964, he became a citizen. When people would hear his accent they would ask if he was an Italian. He would say, "I was born in Italy, but I am an American."

Anonymous said...

Fast forward to today's typical Middle Village "paisan". He never set foot in Italy. He'll not only tell you he is Italian and proud of it, but has an Italian flag displayed somewhere on his car or clothing and drives around Juniper Park honking and screaming like an asshole after the Italian team wins a soccer game.

Anonymous said...

hey 78th street:

You made me pee in my pants I laughed so hard.

Anonymous said...

Remember the IROC car.........

Italian Retard Out Cruising

Anonymous said...

she's hot

Anonymous said...

"Italian Retard Out Cruising"

LOL

You reminded me of cruising Francis Lewis Blvd in the late eighties with my friends.

Good times.

Anonymous said...

Just mop up that gal's face, and you'll have a solution to our oil crisis.