A New Day? A Naturalization Ceremony to Remember

  Today, President Barack Obama and Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano presided over a naturalization ceremony for 25 active duty service members who were taking the oath of citizenship. The following is a statement by Ali Noorani, Executive Director of the National Immigration Forum, a non-partisan pro-immigrant advocacy group in Washington.

The service given to this nation by these individual new citizens is representative of the contributions all immigrants make to our country each and every day. Immigrants are Americans by choice and the oath of citizenship is a stirring and meaningful culmination of the process by which they have made that choice. What an honor to be sworn in by the President of the United States on top of the honor to be a U.S. citizen. That’s a great way to thank these patriots on our behalf. As the son of immigrants from Pakistan who became U.S. citizens, I know what this ceremony will mean for these service members and their families and their decedents for many generations to come. President Obama is himself the child of a stranger to these shores and today’s ceremony reminds us that America’s greatness stems not only from those of us lucky enough to be born here, but also from the people across the world who have chosen to join us.

KJ