Submitted by the National Park Service
In a beautiful courtyard in the Santa Monica Mountains, 40 immigrants became United States citizens recently during a ceremony hosted by Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, a unit of the National Park Service, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
The new citizens hail from the following countries: Armenia, Brazil, El Salvador, France, Guatemala, Iran, Israel, Mexico, Philippines and Russia.
“I feel very excited and happy to do this because I have kids who were born here,” said Jeleide Ibagy, a social worker originally from Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil. She was accompanied by her Brazilian-born husband who became an American citizen the week before.
“I want to be part of our process and fight for what I think is right,” she added. “We’re just trying to do our best by following the law. Now we can vote and help with democracy.”
USCIS and NPS first signed an agreement in September 2006 to connect America’s newest citizens to national parks throughout the country. These historic and often picturesque public sites provide an ideal backdrop for citizenship ceremonies.
