Love for US unites 177 new citizens
It took Yexi S. Cheguen a month to make her way from Guatemala to the United States in 1995. Samuel M. Berhe of Ethiopia won his US visa in a lottery 13 years ago. A native of the Dominican Republic, US Army Sergeant Jupiter M. Rincon always knew he wanted to join the US military.
Though the details of their stories differ, they are united in their love for America, by its promise of liberty and opportunity. The phrases sound familiar, but the emotions run deep.
"I love this country, the freedom," said Cheguen, 23, who proudly took an oath of US citizenship, along with Berhe, 50, Rincon, 22, and 174 others yesterday at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Dorchester.
Some waved tiny US flags; others beamed at the cameras clicking all around. Attendees hailed from various corners of the world, including Albania, Bolivia, Ukraine, and Vietnam. A few were citizens of the former Soviet Union. But they were all ready to officially call the United States home.
"I feel American," said Becky J. Uprichard, 27, who was born in Northern Ireland and has lived in the States since 1987. Uprichard, who wants to pursue a career as a social worker for the Department of Veterans Affairs, said she hardly considered applying for citizenship until this year.
Her father, Andrew, who attended the ceremony, became a citizen about 10 years ago and persuaded her to do the same.
"You get up one day and you realize, 'This is crazy. I'm standing in the foreigner's line at Logan Airport and this is my home,' " he said yesterday. "This is the greatest country in the world."
Before yesterday's proceedings began, a library official welcomed the soon-to-be-citizens, pointing out that the naturalization ceremony is one of "the most meaningful" to take place in the building. Attendees were reminded of President Kennedy's love for his Irish roots and his strong devotion to the country he was leading when he died. They were asked to remember his words, "And so my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country."
Perhaps that sentiment is more important than ever at a time of rising unemployment, economic uncertainty, and war. Many of the new citizens seemed to believe strongly in America's ability to recover from its travails.
Alma Alagic, 25, of Bosnia and Herzegovina, said that under President Obama's leadership, the United States is likely to correct past economic and foreign policy mistakes. "I think [the] US has a future," she said.
An airline pilot, Berhe said that being a citizen will make him eligible for better jobs.
But some who became US citizens yesterday were not drawn by economic opportunity.
Mohammed A. Labib has lived in America for seven years. Though he goes back to visit his home in Jordan, his heart is with his five children and 13 grandchildren in the United States. "I want to live with them," Labib, 69, said after the ceremony.
When a reporter asked him what he likes best about the United States, he hesitated. The language of his new home still poses a barrier sometimes.
His son, Mutaz, translated the question into Arabic. Labib responded instantly, noting the respect and care that the elderly receive in America.
"It is a beautiful land," he added, in English. 