A naturalization ceremony was held on Sunday for a hundred
New Yorkers from 35 different countries. The Obama administration launched a campaign
in September, urging 8.8 million immigrants to do the same. The campaign is
working to ease the naturalization process. The process includes allowing
immigrants to pay the $680 naturalization fee with a credit card, and helping
future citizens find English and civics classes. It has been speculated the admiration’s
effort is to acquire more democratic voters.
The ceremony was part of the Hispanic Heritage Month. Deputy
Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas insists the country and new
citizens are benefiting from naturalization. “It reflects a greater level of integration
in American society and it also affords people very significant rights, the right
to vote chief amongst them, and it also comes with responsibilities, civic responsibilities,
that I think make our county stronger,” Mayorkas said.
Mayra Martinez, 28, was among the 100 New Yorkers to gain citizenship.
Martinez came to the U.S. from Mexico when she was 2. It was her goal to become
a citizen before the presidential election. “If we want to make an impact as a
community, we need to really come together, sign up, become citizens,” she
said. “So I guess that’s really the main way you can make your voice heard.”
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