Fri, Sep 05, 2008
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Alma Gallegos of Mexico displays her Certificate of Naturalization to her daughter Hiriana and son Marco after Thursday's ceremony at the Tucson Convention Center.
photos by jill torrance / Arizona Daily Star
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German woman reflects on what it means to become a brand-new american citizen
Angelique Roberts, 42, originally of Germany, is one of the new citizens who took part in the ceremony. In all, the citizens hailed from 65 countries. Here are her thoughts on the process of becoming a citizen:
Q: Why did you apply for citizenship?
A: I love everything this country stands for — freedom, the right to vote — and I wanted to be a part of that. I really want to vote.
Q: Who will you be voting for in this year's presidential election?
A: (John) McCain
Q: How long did the process take?
A: I had been fighting for several years to become a U.S. citizen, but I decided to apply last May because of all of the red tape.
Q: Did you learn anything about the United States that you didn't know before?
A: Not really; I minored in U.S. history.
Q: How are you going to celebrate the Fourth of July?
A: I'm having a barbecue with the family.
Q: Will anything change now that you are a U.S. citizen?
A: Not as far as patriotism goes because I've always been a patriotic person. But you're going to see me everywhere now. I might be your next congresswoman.

Tucson Region

New Americans in time for July 4

By Alexis Huicochea
arizona daily star
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 07.04.2008
Approximately 900 people became American citizens Thursday morning in one of the largest naturalization ceremonies to be held in Tucson over the last three years.
The ceremony is normally held at the federal courthouse, but because of the large number of participants, it was held at the Tucson Convention Center, where family and friends packed in, with American flags in abundance.
On average, 260 people are naturalized every month in Tucson, according to John M. Ramirez, field director for the Tucson office.
The recent surge is in part attributed to a large number of people applying for citizenship last year before a fee increase went into effect, according to John Kramar, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services district director for Arizona and Nevada.
The process involves completing an application, being fingerprinted and interviewed, as well as completing a test on reading, writing and understanding of American history.
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