Across a stage decorated with patriotic flags and UNI colors, 140 people from 53 countries gained American citizenship.
Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. in Maucker Ballroom, Chief Magistrate Judge Jon Scoles presided over the Naturalization Proceeding and together, with their respective families, members of the UNI community and other attendees celebrated a new identity.
Scoles, who swore in the 140 people, led the new citizens in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance and invited the rest of the attendees to join in as well. Scoles told the crowd our nation, which was founded on immigration, finds one of its strengths to be just that — immigration.
“I get a little emotional when I tell them they are official citizens,” Scoles said.
Obtaining the new status as an American, for some, means not having to worry about where they belong. For Ammar Alsamawi, a student at the University of Iowa, gaining American citizenship stabilizes where he calls home.
Alsamawi, a refugee from Iraq, fled to Jordan after his family was threatened and knew going back to Iraq wasn’t an option. Alsamawi applied to become an American citizen with the hope of making America his home.
“In a way, a lot of people just dream to come to America, but at the same time, my sister is married to an American and has been a citizen for a while,” Alsamawi said. “So when we applied to the United Nations, they try to find people in western countries that are stable countries that you have some family in, so that was also a reason.”
After the ceremony, Alsamawi said he and some of his friends were planning to celebrate with a “Red, White and Blue” party, but not too much celebrating, as he had to study for a midterm the next day.
The naturalization ceremony, which offered coffee and cake, decorated with red and blue star atop white frosting, took nearly a year to plan, said Mark Grey, professor of sociology, anthropology and criminology. Grey, who helped coordinate the event, also runs the Iowa Center for Immigrant Leadership and Integration.
Grey listed the five entities that need to come together in order to host the event: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Federal Court, U.S. Marshall Service Court Security, a space to use and sponsorship from the university.
“It’s like the planets have to line up for this to happen,” Grey said.
Grey congratulated each individual as they made their way off of the stage and into the lobby to fill out the last few bits of paperwork.
Grey said he will begin planning next year’s ceremony this summer, but it is, and has been, worth the long process.
“I serve the people of Iowa and these folks are from Iowa, they have family in Iowa; I think of it as another service I provide the state of Iowa and for UNI as well,” Grey said. “And that’s just an honor to have an opportunity to organize it.”
This is the fourth year in a row UNI has hosted the event. Grey said he hopes the best for the new Americans as they continue their lives.
“To make the most of whatever opportunities this great country provides for them, you know, like the rest of us,” Grey said. “They had the gumption to become a citizen so they have the gumption to make something of their lives.”
