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Waiting outside the court for the doors to open at 08:00 |
A cool gray morning outside the US District Court in Providence found 96 people from 37 countries standing in line with their guests and families waiting to complete a process - that had been a near odyssey taking upwards of 20 years in some cases. Everyone had a letter telling them to come to this appointment wearing "appropriate attire" and everyone also had some sort of documentation that said it was OK to live in the USA. Resident Permits mainly but some were in uniforms of the US armed forces. My car was sitting on a meter across the street which I could not get to take quarters because it was too early in the day but my appointment was going to run into meter time. Clearly the price of the day was going to be a parking ticket - a small price for what was about to happen.
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Alex picked Red, White and Blue flowers from the garden for the day |
The doors of the court opened at 8.00am promptly and we were all security screened. Mobile phones caused a problem for many because they are simply not allowed in the court and there was a brisk trade with the lady across the street in the bus station left-luggage locker room to look after them temporarily. Cameras WERE allowed and a specific point was made that today - and for today only - it would be OK to take pictures in court. After all this was a celebration. For me - 9 years of paperwork and living for a qualifying period in the US meant that today I would leave the court able to fully participate in the democratic process in America - till now I have only been allowed to pay taxes and social security - but voting for a non-citizen is not allowed.
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Checking the paperwork |
We arrived at the designated courtroom on the second floor and guests were asked to wait outside while we filed in for a final paperwork check. For (hopefully) the last time I was asked if I had ever been a member of the Communist Party or if I had been arrested for any crime since I last talked to immigration a month before - but the tone was friendly and was hopefully considered more of a formality at this point. Anyone who was holding the letter inviting them to the day has been inoculated, x-rayed, interviewed, scruitineered, background checked and fingerprinted (the last at least twice) since coming to America!
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Waiting to proceed - the vets in caps have just finished giving us gifts. People are examining their packet of papers. |
We were greeted by vets from the RI Chapter of the Jewish War Veterans who smiled, wished us welcome and gave us "a small gift" - a copy of the Bill of Rights - for those non-US - the first 10 amendments to the US constitution - a fact tucked away in my brain along with 150 others pertaining to civics, government and history of the USA about which I had been examined by an immigration officer a month before who was also trying to determine if I spoke, read and wrote English to a sufficient standard to make my way in the US. I guess I passed! Then our Green Cards and appointment letters were examined again, our names were ticked off on a list and we were handed a packet of papers and told to sit and wait. The court was hushed but there was a sense of anticipation and as folks sat we examined the contents of our packet:
- A copy of the oaths we were about to take
- Notes on how to apply for a passport
- A booklet containing copies of:
- The Declaration of Independence
- The Constitution
- National Anthem
- The Pledge of Allegiance
- Rules for Saluting the US flag
- Duties of a Citizen
- Rights of a Citizen
- and other historically important American poems, songs and quotations
- There was a letter on White House letterhead from the President welcoming us as a Citizen
- ....and a small American Flag on a stick
As the last of people were getting their paperwork completed some of us quietly shared our experiences as to how we ended up in the USA. The girl sitting to my left won hands down in my view - escaping from her village in Cambodia two days before it - and everyone in it - was destroyed by Pol Pot's soldiers in the 1970's. She had been a refugee in Thailand, then in the USA, then she had married and raised a family who had now persuaded her it was time to take citizenship because she was the only one in the family who was not a US citizen.
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Petitioning the judge to grant the motions |
After paperwork was complete - guests were allowed into the court and sat at the back or mingled with the rest of us - where ever there was space. Then there was a pause and finally we all rose when Judge Lincoln Almond (son of our last Rhode Island Governor - for those who recognize the name) entered and opened proceedings.
A gentleman from the Department of Homeland Security Division of Immigration rose and presented four motions to the judge:
1. That fifteen people be excused from taking their oath in English for reasons of age - Granted
2. That four people be allowed to change their names as part of naturalization - Granted
3. That three people be excused - on religious grounds examined and accepted by the Department of Homeland Security - from taking the parts of the oath that required them to bear arms in defence of the United States - Granted.
4. That the ninety-six people in the room be granted American Citizenship. The judge indicated he would consider this request and then asked us to all rise and raise our right hands. Then in the manner of a wedding ceremony he took us through the oath of allegiance - reminding the 3 to keep quiet at the appropriate parts. In one corner of the court a deaf woman was having the whole of the proceedings conveyed to her by a court interpreter in sign language and she took her oath in sign language. After the oath the judge declared the motion granted and declared us all American Citizens. There was a burst of applause and quiet cheering.
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Oath of Allegiance - this guy seems to be having trouble raising his right hand properly. The woman on my left is my Cambodian friend. |
The judge then gave a short speech reminding everyone that they were now Americans and not "Irish-American" or "Polish-American" but notwithstanding this we should not forget our roots and culture and should bring them into the United States - a nation of immigrants. Born Americans in the room were gently reminded that if they looked back a little in their family tree - they were immigrants too and should tolerate new Citizens. We were reminded that Citizens in the USA are the government and that we should register to vote and take part in government; that our representatives are exactly that - representatives - who we should vote in again if we felt they did good work and who we should not vote for again if they did bad work. Finally we were reminded that though America is often called "the land of opportunity" we must remember to grasp it. That education was a key to this opportunity and that we should never give up on education and should avail ourselves of the public education system in Rhode Island - one of the best in the USA .
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Boy am I happy it is over! |
Then the judge asked his court reporter to rise and lead us all through the Pledge of Allegiance - something I had tried to get properly memorized for the occasion. All rose and:
(I) Pledge(d) Allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
There was a final smattering of applause and we rose one more time while the judge left. Then one final piece of “administritava” - we handed in our Green Cards (I was told for destruction to the point of uselessness) and appointment letter and in return were given our Certificates of Naturalization. All the staff involved in the proceedings congratulated us and friends and family crowded around. Pictures were taken and there were more than a few damp eyes. Outside the courtroom a woman in US Air force uniform was being congratulated by her fellow aviators (fight for the USA and you get automatic - almost - citizenship).
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"Check we spelled your name correctly, that your date of birth is correct - don't forget to sign it" |
We made our way back to the car - AMAZING - no parking ticket and drove off to work! Well almost - I had a couple of distractions on the day: By 12.00 I had registered to vote at Newport City Hall with my Certificate of Naturalization in hand - ink scarce dry - to prove my right; and by 14:00 it was in the mail to the passport office in Boston in support of my US passport application.
During my Green Card interview back in 2000 I remember being asked if I ever planned on taking US Citizenship. I emphatically stated "yes" and the Immigration Officer at the time was clearly surprised. I asked why - He said that over 99% of Green Card holders never do. I mentioned that I didn't like the concept of "no taxation without representation" and he smiled at my response.
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A new American! |
I can't tell you how many Americans have since genuinely welcomed me and congratulated me on joining the team: cards, small gifts, flag pins from people I barely know have ended up on my desk. There is a true sense of being welcomed and it started today when the government officials put down their normally stern countenance and created a meaningful ceremony of welcome.
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| "Congratulations" from my niece Carys in Scotland - clearly conflicted and wearing a crown. The USA fought a war about crowns in 1776 you know! |