On June 29, 73 applicants from 34 countries recited the Oath of Citizenship in a special ceremony at Severance Music Center in Cleveland, celebrating both the new citizens and the upcoming 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

A New Chapter

Ricardo Morales Vivero, one of the new citizens, immediately filled out his voter registration paperwork after the ceremony. Volunteers from the League of Women Voters were on hand to assist the new citizens in exercising their new legal right.

Morales Vivero, who grew up in Quito, Ecuador, has lived in the United States for 13 years and now considers himself a Midwesterner. He acknowledged the complexity of becoming a U.S. citizen, given the country’s recent political actions, but expressed his commitment to making the country a better place.

A Celebration of Diversity

The ceremony was presided over by Chief Judge Sara Lioi of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, who urged the new citizens to reflect on the nation’s diversity and the sacrifices made to preserve the ideals of freedom and democracy.

Two music ensembles performed during the ceremony, including a string quartet from OPUS 216 and the Cleveland Orchestra Children’s Chorus, which sang ‘The Star Spangled Banner’ for the first time as U.S. citizens.

The new citizens came from various countries, including Cameroon, Liberia, and Albania. Some, like Blerina Bakia, had waited 30 years for this moment, while others, like Anubhav Vinayak, had arrived in the United States as children and were now realizing their dream of becoming U.S. citizens.

Original reporting: Signal Cleveland — read the source article.