On Wednesday, Oct. 19 in Philadelphia, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and the U.S. Department of State naturalized 25 new citizens during a special ceremony in part to also commemorate the opening of the new city Passport Agency facility in Center City. 

U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken was in attendance to administer the Oath of Allegiance and offered congratulatory remarks to the 25 individuals. 

United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Jacqueline C. Romero was also among the speakers, and dished on her personal history with citizenship that involves her grandfather, an immigrant from Spain. 

“My grandfather, Diego Romero, came to this country from Spain almost 100 years ago and he came here at the age of 16. He had very little money in his pocket… He had something I like to call faith. Faith in our Constitution, and what that constitution meant for him and his rights, faith and hope in the kind of life that he could build for himself, and his family here in the United States. Much like you folks here today, he sat in these types of seats at a passport agency that does naturalization. And he eventually became an American citizen,” said Romero. “I don’t think 100 years ago he could ever imagine, in any shape in his mind, that decision would be to one day, his granddaughter standing up here in front of you all.”

The new American Citizens represented 17 different countries — Albania, Belarus, Bhutan, China, Guinea, Honduras, Iraq, Jamaica, Liberia, Nepal, Norway, the Philippines, Russia, South Korea, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Ukraine and Uzbekistan. 

“On behalf of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, it is my pleasure to present these 25 new candidates for naturalization, each of you personally examined under oath by a designated officer. Each has demonstrated an understanding of the English language and knowledge and understanding of the fundamentals of history and principles and the form of government of the United States,” Blinken said. “Each has been found to be a person of good moral character attached to the principles of the Constitution of the United States. The investigations of the government have been completed in their cases, and each has been found to meet all requirements under the law.”

Following the Oath of Allegiance, the 25 individuals were officially welcomed as U.S. citizens. 

Naturalization ceremonies usually take place at schools, libraries and other locations to celebrate the final stop of an immigrant’s journey to becoming an American and further honor their commitment to the lengthy process.