Immigrants get citizenship
It was much more than just another day of the week as 19 new American citizens were welcomed in a naturalization ceremony at the U.S. District Court House on Friday.
For the 19 new American citizens who originated from the five countries of Chile, Mexico, Pakistan, Philippines and Venezuela, it truly was a big day. U.S. Magistrate Judge Peter Lewis administered the Oath of Allegiance.
But perhaps what made this day stand out was the visit by Acting Director James McCament of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, who journeyed from Washington, D.C., to deliver the keynote address.
“I’m really proud to call all of you my fellow citizens,” said McCament with a smile to a proud and jubilant cohort of new Americans.
Judge Lewis recalled how he met his wife in Japan more than 30 years ago.
He regaled the audience with this remembrance, “My wife came up to me out of the blue one day to tell me she wanted to become a citizen,” he said. “This was after 20 years of marriage. And when I asked why, she said, if you die I’ve heard I may have to pay more taxes.”
It may have not been the best reason to become a citizen but it certainly was one of the best decisions she made noted Lewis.
“Every day my wife becomes more American,” he confided. “I liken it to the difference between a renter and a home owner. The home owner takes it more seriously. He assumes ownership of his community and becomes far more engaged in its civic life.”
Lewis called the Imperial Valley, “God’s Country,” as he favored warm weather and then reminded the audience that every July Americans celebrate a revolution.
But the American Revolution was unique in that when the country won independence from Great Britain, there was no bloodbath.
And unlike the French revolution nobody had their head chopped off and the country was never subjugated by a dictator.
Lewis declared America’s Declaration of Independence the most beautiful document ever written in English.
And yet its chief architect, Thomas Jefferson was a red headed and diffident gentleman who was almost apologetic in his prose … “When in the course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bonds which have connected them to another …” And the second paragraph, “We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal …”
And while the U.S. Constitution was authored by men with many divergent views, what really brought Americans together, noted Lewis, was the first 10 amendments to the Constitution, the Bill of Rights.
It makes Americans unique because people who become naturalized citizens in other countries are never truly accepted as citizens.
“We in America have dreams and use those dreams to educate our children,” said Lewis.
“It’s a dream we should all have. If your father worked in the fields, you don’t have to do that. If you work hard, you have the opportunity to pursue whatever you want to be.”
McCament also praised the Constitution for providing the firm foundation of our rule of law.
Yet being an American is not about a birthright but about equal rights and shared responsibility.
And the way to do bring that about is by voting for our representatives whose power is only conveyed by the voice of its people.
“Our Constitution guarantees exercise of government by its citizens,” said McCament.
“We’re unique in that we’re the oldest, active democracy remaining in the world.”