A UKRAINIAN was among the 38 new U.S. citizens who were sworn in at a naturalization ceremony held Monday at the District Court for the NMI.
Oleksandr Galadzhii, a pharmacist, expressed his happiness in becoming a U.S. citizen. “I am very happy. This is important. I have waited for more than 10 years for this.”
He said he will be an active citizen, and will register to vote.
Asked about the conflict in Ukraine, Galadzhii said, “It’s a terrible situation, and I hope a resolution can be found as soon as possible.” He thanked all the nations that support and help Ukraine.
Ukraine will win, he added.
Another new U.S. citizen, Mark Anthony Tesero, said he is “excited and at the same time happy. God is really good. God is amazing.”
Tesero, who has worked as a warehouse supervisor for almost a decade, plans to move to Indiana. “God is simply amazing…we have been waiting for this opportunity. My family and I will be moving to the states.”
The other new citizens who were naturalized on Monday morning were Maria Luz Lingal Bocago, Demy Villaganas Carpio, Reynaldo Salas Darag, Nenita Velasquez Delos Santos, Jeffry Manarang Fernandez, Juanita Ebba Kaijo, Wilfredo Manlutac Lagason, Maria Ronita Angeles Mallari, Juvy Balagot Martinez, Eduardo Binag Olarte, Elmer Evangelista Pineda, Teresa Tellei Pineda, Jina Ong Sablan, Kyung Ran Seo, Danielle Youn Jung Su, Lorna Nieves Tereyama and Iosefatu Tuigamala.
In the afternoon, the following new U.S. citizens were sworn in: Gabriel Agbayani Alcaraz, Nena Laparejo Babauta, Gina Boan Bacani, Agripino Soriano Buniag, Teofilo llabarda Dallimocon Jr., Imelda Riola Deleon, Nazmal Hoque, Chin Shan Hsieh, Elizabeth Mesa Licup, Francisca Barriga Pinaula, Orlando Olalia Pineda, Mihir Rashmi Rout, Joice Santos Sablan, Mustafa Fakhruddin Shakir, Nazario Alido Sumacpang, Tatiana Tsoi, Lolita De Castro Turlao, Francisco Abalo Villamin Jr. and Maryjoy Alcuran Yebra.
Patricia Phelan, U.S. Citizenship and Immigrations Services officer, made the motion in court to accept the applicants as new citizens.
Presiding over the special sessions, Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona granted Phelan’s motion and welcomed the new U.S. citizens to the American family.
Lt. Cmdr. Christine Torres Igisomar, maritime advisor, U.S. Coast Guard Forces Micronesia/Sector Guam, was the guest speaker.
“You all have taken a journey, some taking more time than others to complete,” she said. “You should be lauded for the work you have done to become a citizen but you still have a rewarding and demanding task ahead of you. And that is the hard work of active citizenship. You have rights, you have responsibilities and now you have to focus and write the next chapter in this great American story — for immigration is the nation’s story. For over 200 years, it determines the core of the nation’s character. It’s really America’s oldest tradition. It’s what makes this nation exceptional. And through the centuries immigrants had come to our shores, rolled up their sleeves and built the America you now know.”
She added, “Today is not the final step in your journey. President John F. Kennedy said no form of government requires more of its citizens than does the American democracy. Our system of self-government depends on ordinary citizens doing the hard, frustrating but essential work of citizenship. Of being informed. Of understanding that government is not some distant thing in Washington, D.C., but it’s you. Democracy is hard work, and requires effort from all of us. It’s not only just following the law, but also to engage in the community, and to speak up if things are wrong, and to vote. To not only exercise your rights but to assure your fellow citizens are not hindered from exercising theirs. And it’s my job to support you. I put on this uniform every day for the past 20 years, and willingly give up my own rights as a citizen so that you can fully enjoy yours. Regardless of my personal opinion of how you choose to exercise your rights, I consider it the honor of my life to watch fellow Americans live a full life guaranteed by our democracy. Trust that my brothers and sisters in uniform remain dedicated to your guarantee of the entire scope of rights you now hold as citizens. These rights are our great inheritance. In order to fully enjoy our inheritance, we need to keep building an America that we can be proud of, no matter who we are, what we look like, whom we love, or what we believe. You should not forget your history and your past that add to the richness of American life. But you are now Americans. You have obligations as citizens, and I am absolutely confident you will set a good example for all of us, because you know how precious this thing is — it’s not something to take for granted. It’s for you to cherish and to fight for.”
Oleksandr Galadzhii, his wife Ksenia Lizunova, and daughter Eva at the District Court for the NMI after the naturalization ceremony on Monday.
The new U.S. citizens who were sworn in Monday morning pose for a photo with Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona of the District Court for the NMI, U.S Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Christine Torres Igisomar and U.S. Citizenship and Immigrations Services Officer Patricia Phelan.
The new U.S. citizens who were sworn in Monday afternoon pose for a photo with Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona of the District Court for the NMI, U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Christine Torres Igisomar and U.S. Citizenship and Immigrations Services Officer Patricia Phelan.
