Naturalization Ceremony Sponsored by the Lexington Historical Society on the Lexington Common
I have often wondered what it would be like to be an immigrant. To pick myself up, leave my home, my friends and family, my culture, and move here. How difficult it must be to learn a new language, new idioms, and the many new ways of living.
Called “the melting pot, the United States has been a nation of immigrants since its beginnings. Our ancestors packed up their families and their belongings and moved here, leaving everything they knew behind. One Danish immigrant talks about the sadness of missing family celebrations; her son speaks about never knowing his grandparents. Life is very different if you suddenly move to a different country.
Over the course of almost four centuries, some 57 million men and women have left their native country to come to the United States. When we were still Massachusetts Bay Colony, over 600,000 immigrants came, primarily British, Irish, and German. In the mid-nineteenth century, the Irish and Germans were the most common immigrants.
Southern and eastern Europeans were most numerous between 1890-1924. After isolationist sentiments flared during World War I, President Warren G. Harding signed the first Immigration Quota Act in 1921, effectively ending the open-door policy that had allowed millions of foreigners to settle in the U.S. in the previous decade. The National Origins Act of 1924 also stemmed the flow, which did not pick up again until the 1960s.
The story of today’s immigrants is, in many ways, the tale of every immigrant, past and present: the story of individuals who stand apart from the norm, struggle over how much to become assimilated, and leave their own stamp on the national culture.
On Tuesday, April 22, 11 am, the Lexington Common will be the site of a Naturalization Ceremony sponsored by the Lexington Historical Society.
A federal judge will act as emcee. The Lexington Minutemen will provide a color guard. Epp Sonin will be our featured vocalist. Sophia Ho will address the new citizens near the end of the program. There will be two or three other speakers to be confirmed. There will be a reception for the new citizens and their guests, following the ceremony. The public is invited to attend. If it rains, the ceremony will take place in Battin Hall in Cary Hall.
- According to the usa.gov site, “to be eligible: for U.S. citizenship, you must meet certain eligibility requirements. These include being:
At least 18 years old when you apply
Able to read, write, and speak basic English (depending on age) - Of good moral character
- You must also be in one of these categories:
- Lawful permanent resident (Green Card holder) of five years
- Married to a U.S. citizen and lawful permanent resident for three years
- U.S. military service member (active duty or veteran)
- Child of a U.S. citizen
You then complete Form-400, which is the application form for citizenship. For most people, one of the requirements during the interview is taking the 2008 U.S. naturalization test. The test has two parts: a civics test (U.S. history and government) and an English test. Many immigrants know much more than the average American about how our democratic system works because they had to study for this test!
