Bosnia native Enisa Delic (center)
Thousands in Phoenix, other cities become citizens on 4th of July
and 150 others become U.S. citizens in a Fourth of July naturalization ceremony at South Mountain Community College in Phoenix.
Lot Ledezma was moved to tears when he finally got to say the words.
“I hearby declare on oath … that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United State of America …”
Ledezma and 150 other U.S. residents on Tuesday — the Fourth of July — took the oath of allegiance in front of hundreds of family and friends at South Mountain Community College’s gymnasium to become new American citizens.
Across the country, about 15,000 people were sworn in as U.S. citizens at dozens of Independence Day-themed naturalization ceremonies, including local ceremonies at the Maricopa Community Colleges campus and the Mesa Convention Center.
The Valley on Tuesday welcomed more than 300 new U.S. citizens from 43 countries — from Afghanistan to Russia and El Salvador to Vietnam.
“July Fourth marks the birth of our country, and for 15,000 people, it marks the birth of a new chapter as American citizens,” said James McCament, acting director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. “These new members of our community will add to the diverse fabric of our nation and will now be able to enjoy the rights, privileges and responsibilities
of U.S. citizenship.”
When Ledezma, 43, raised his right hand and recited the words that legitimized his new citizenship, “it was a feeling that I’ve never felt,” he said.
“I spent a long time just waiting for the moment, and now it is reality,” he added.
Ledezma lived in the U.S. for five years before becoming a naturalized citizen. He and his wife, Lisa, whom he met while in Mexico, were separated “for a long time” during the process to citizenship.
Being away from loved ones was one of the sacrifices keynote speaker Rodo Sofranac said is part of the journey toward becoming a naturalized citizen.
Sofranac, a Phoenix-based writer, translator and community advocate, became a citizen in 1963 when his family migrated from communist Montenegro — then part of Yugoslavia — when he was an adolescent.
Sofranac became a U.S. citizen, then went to college, found lots of career opportunities and celebrated other cultures. But it came at a price.
“One of the hardest things is the people you left behind. I never saw or spoke to my grandmother again,” Sofranac told the group of new U.S. citizens.
“What you’ve decided to do is not easy; it’s very difficult. We really respect you for those decisions,” he said.
U.S. District Judge Roslyn O. Silver presided over the ceremony and told the candidates it was “my privilege” to oversee “one of the most important days of your lives.”
She also reminded them of their new responsibilities as citizens, including the right to vote.
“Think about it this way: If you decide not to vote, you don’t have time, you’ve already predicted who was going to win the election, what you have done is you’ve surrendered the most important right you have as a citizen,” Silver said, referencing the 2000 presidential election. “Be sure not to do that.”
The new citizens waved American flags in the air and smiled happily as sixth-grade student Brooklyn Ball closed the ceremony with a rendition of “America the Beautiful.”
Afterward, the new citizens lined up behind booths at the back of the gymnasium. With certificates in hand, they updated their Social Security information and registered to vote.
“I’ll now be walking through life feeling like I have the power to speak, the power to vote and choose my representatives,” Ledezma said. “The power to be American.”
Maria Verdugo de Garcia, 70, was flanked by family members — her husband, daughter and grandchildren — after receiving her certificate of U.S. citizenship.
“I feel very happy right now,” Garcia said. “Thank God.”
Garcia had been a U.S. resident for 20 years prior to Tuesday’s ceremony. It was a long road toward citizenship, she said.
To commemorate the day, Garcia said she and her family would enjoy fireworks and eat one of the meals arguably most synonymous with being American: hamburgers.