About 76 people swore in as American citizens Friday aboard the USS Hornet Museum in Alameda, as part of a special Independence Day-themed naturalization ceremony put on by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
The group came from 32 different countries around the world,
The ceremony opened with Laura Fies, the Chief Operating Officer of the USS Hornet, speaking to the crowd about the history of the aircraft carrier.
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“Hornet’s history is America’s history. And the history of USS Hornet will now be your history as much as it is mine,” said Fies. “Our moments of glory will now equally be yours. And all of you have shown that you carry the same spirit as the thousands of sailors who served on this ship.”
District Judge James Donato then took to the stage to administer the Oath of Allegiance. Before he did so, Donato shared his own family’s story of immigrating from Sicily. He asked the soon-to-be American citizens to tell their own stories often and proudly.
“I’m asking you to do this because, on occasion, some of our fellow citizens forget that this country was built by immigrants,” said Donato. “They forget that they too, at some point in their family, came from somewhere else.”
After his remarks, Donato asked people to stand as he called out their country of origin. Once the entire room was standing, he administered the Oath of Allegiance.
The event closed with a speech by Alameda Supervisor Lena Tam.
“As a citizen, you will enjoy many rights that protect your rights and make sure you are treated equally under the law,” Tam said. “You will also have many responsibilities that come with citizenship."
She invited the new citizens to participate in their community, and even protest their government. Then, Tam paused.
“Hopefully peacefully,” she added, causing laughter.
