Well Wednesday July 2nd, 2008 was a big day for me! After 10 years of living in the United States I finally took the plunge and became an American citizen. I attended the Naturalization Oath ceremony in Peoria Illinois along with 46 other people representing 22 countries! WOW! And to make the whole occassion that much better, it was 2 days before Independence Day! There was red, white and blue everywhere and everyone was feeling very patriotic.
It was truly a wonderful and moving experience! There were a few dignitaries (members from the community) in attendence to encourage the new citizens to participate in community activities and to serve and support various organizations. All the new citizens were also snagged right away as we left the courtroom to register to vote!
After the oath ceremony I was interviewed by a local news station! It was all very exciting. Here is a link to the video clip of my interview: http://www.week.com/news/local/22834989.html?video=pop&t=a
So now I have joined the ranks and can proudly call myself an American!
It was truly a wonderful and moving experience! There were a few dignitaries (members from the community) in attendence to encourage the new citizens to participate in community activities and to serve and support various organizations. All the new citizens were also snagged right away as we left the courtroom to register to vote!
After the oath ceremony I was interviewed by a local news station! It was all very exciting. Here is a link to the video clip of my interview: http://www.week.com/news/local/22834989.html?video=pop&t=a
So now I have joined the ranks and can proudly call myself an American!
