Citizens welcomed at naturalization ceremony

KAREN VIBERT-KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette Beatrice Gansell Taran, left, regent of the Lycoming Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, hands a flag to new U.S. citizen Alma Ramierz of Milton, right, during a Naturalization Ceremony at the U.S. Middle District Court in Williamsport on Friday. Ramirez is originally from Guatemala.

KAREN VIBERT-KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette
Beatrice Gansell Taran, left, regent of the Lycoming Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, hands a flag to new U.S. citizen Alma Ramierz of Milton, right, during a Naturalization Ceremony at the U.S. Middle District Court in Williamsport on Friday. Ramirez is originally from Guatemala.

Forty-seven people from 25 different countries gathered before Magistrate Judge William Arbuckle to be naturalized and granted their citizenship in the United States.

U.S. Rep. Fred Keller, R-Kreamer, and the Lycoming County Daughters of the American Revolution were also in attendance to congratulate the citizens on Friday.

Along with their certificates, many new citizens even changed their names, like new citizen, Alex Li, from China.

"It's a long-time dream," he said. "And now, it has come true."

Li, who grew up in a small town in China, has always wanted to be in the U.S. He is currently a student at Penn State University and plans on graduating next year with an engineering degree.

"I am finally living my dream, this is my country too," he said. "I will have a brighter future after today."

"Today has to be the happiest day in the court," Arbuckle said. "The United States Constitution protects the rights of all citizens. And I am often called upon to rule on those rights and sometimes limit those rights. Today is a wonderful day, though, because today, I get to bestow on behalf of you, all of the rights of citizenship."

One citizen got the chance to speak about her own journey of citizenship.

Uzma Khan, originally from Pakistan, currently living in Danville, explained what an honor it is to be an American citizen.

"I lived in Anchorage, Alaska for more than two years," she said. "After that we (her and her husband) came here. It was a long process for citizenship. Today is a big day for me. It is an honor for me to be an American citizen. I want to thank the U.S. government for accepting me as their citizen."

"It is a privilege for me to welcome all of you," Arbuckle added.

Each citizen rose from their seats to take the official oath before the judge.

Christine Bailey, originally from England, has lived in the U.S. for 51 years, working at the Penn State library and helping her husband with his business that makes and sells titanium wedding rings. She first came on a green card and came back again. She added that receiving her citizenship was a way of diminishing worry in her life.

"It just means that I have an American passport and I don't have to worry that I will get stopped or anything," she said.

Immer Ramirez, originally from Guatemala and now from Milton, has been in the states for eight years working as a Pastor at the Christ Wesleyan Church in Milton where he has a Spanish ministry and even a Christian radio station called "Sharing the Light" that is listened to all over the world from the states to Spain.

"We came here with a religious visa," he said. "It's a long process and a lot of paper work. But God is working through everything. God is blessing us."

After each citizen got their certificates, the Daughters gave each person an American flag to hold and refreshments after the ceremony to gather and celebrate with family and friends.