Forty immigrants from 18 nations became new citizens of the United States in a ceremony held this Friday, December 2, on the County Center campus in downtown Redwood City.
Red, white and blue balloons and streamers welcomed the new citizens in a ceremony as joyful as it was solemn. San Mateo County Supervisors Carole Groom and Dave Pine congratulated immigrants on their journey to becoming citizens and honored their commitment to democracy.
The new citizens are from Belarus, Brazil, Burma, Canada, China, El Salvador, India, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Mexico, Peru, the Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan, Turkey, Ukraine, and Yemen.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services San Francisco Field Office Chief of Citizens Section Ellen Jankins was the one who took the Pledge of Allegiance.
The ceremony was held in the morning at the County's Regional Operations Center, which serves, among other things, as the center of the County's emergency response activities.
Various San Mateo County departments attended the ceremony and helped attendees learn about the benefits of becoming US citizens, including a presentation on how to register to vote, the right these 40 people now have.
The San Mateo County Sheriff's Office Honor Guard presented the colors and the Community Affairs Office provided a welcoming atmosphere for the ceremony.
Finally, US Citizenship and Immigration Services encouraged new citizens and guests to share their naturalization ceremony experiences and photos through social media, using the hashtag #NewUSCitizen.
You may be interested in: Homing Pigeons arrive in Redwood City, known as "Little Michoacán".
