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 November 26, 2023 For our Clients, Colleagues, and Friends, I’d always been curious about the ceremony where they grant citizenship to immigrants. I heard that there was going to be a swearing-in ceremony in downtown Oakland a few years ago, so I asked Rob Chrisman if he was interested in attending with me. We drove down at 7 a.m. to watch it. It was at the Paramount Theater, a huge and awe-inspiring restored movie palace built in the late 1920s. We stood in line for about an hour, and you could feel the buzz of excitement. I asked a few people how they felt, and they each said they were incredibly excited about finally getting their citizenship. There were two sisters in front of us; I couldn’t place their accent, but I asked them about the test they had to pass on U.S. history. “So who was our first President?” They couldn’t tell me fast enough that it was George Washington. They then volunteered that they knew that the first three words of the Constitution are “We the people…” and that the Supreme Court has nine Justices. These two women really knew their stuff. Here are the 100 questions applicants for citizenship must know: Civics Questions for the Naturalization Test). I think high school students should be required to know these before graduating.  Rob and I weren’t really certain if we’d get in, but we walked right in and saw some signs to the balcony for friends and family. The soon-to-be new citizens were seated on the main floor, each one holding a small packet of materials. We sat in the front row of the balcony so we could see what was going on down below as well as on stage. The Paramount was packed, the balcony as well as the main floor. We were told that 1,231 people would be sworn in as citizens, and with the friends and family in the balcony, there were maybe 2,000 total. A choral group sang patriotic songs, and various speakers talked about things like why it was important to vote and what to do if you wanted to get a passport. They then showed a movie that had archival photos of immigrants coming to America, along with photos of symbols of the U.S., like Mt. Rushmore, a statue of Paul Revere, the U.S. Capitol, Mt. Vernon, and the natural beauty of the nation. The music was soaring and inspirational, and the screen flashed quotes from various immigrants who’d become citizens. The only one I remember was someone who said, “Things I could only dream about in my old country have come true in America.” Someone led the audience in singing the national anthem while the movie screen showed American flags waving in the breeze. Without being asked, everyone was on their feet. He then asked everyone to say the Pledge of Allegiance, and every single person stood, on the main floor and in the balcony, hand over their hearts, reciting it in every imaginable accent. Then someone from the State Department announced that 1,231 people were being sworn in today and that they came from 97 countries. He said he would announce every country represented today, and that, “When I call your country, please stand and stay standing.” He did it A to Z, starting with Albania, and when he reached Zimbabwe, all 1,231 were standing. He then had everyone repeat after him in the Oath of Citizenship. It dates back to 1778, something George Washington administered to his soldiers, and it covers all the responsibilities of being a U.S. Citizen. When everyone finished the Oath, the official said, “This morning you came here representing 97 different countries. Now, you represent only one. Congratulations, you are all now citizens of the United States of America.” Every single person in the balcony jumped to their feet and cheered, and everyone on the main floor, the ones who just become citizens, spontaneously started waving American flags. Every single one. People were crying and hugging each other, and even when they were hugging someone, they didn’t stop waving their flags. Mothers holding little children put flags in their hands. To my right was an elderly man, saluting with his right hand and waving the flag slowly with his left. Tears were streaming down his face. The cheering and flag waving didn’t stop: 1,231 new citizens had completed a long journey, and they didn’t want the celebration to end. I wish you could have been there. The traditional motto of the United States is E pluribus unum, Latin for “out of many, one.” It refers to how the 13 colonies came together to form one nation, but it could also apply to the naturalization ceremony. It was extraordinarily moving to hear the official say, “This morning you came here representing 97 different countries. Now, you represent only one.” I will never forget seeing this sea of new citizens waving their American flags.  Below is a group of immigrant children from around 1900, just moments after stepping off the ship that brought them to America.  * * * Today’s cartoon is only funny if you remember a TV show called Lassie. The basic premise each week was that Timmy would fall down a well or get trapped in a mine, some sort of horrible situation, and the 10-year–old boy would tell the family dog, “Lassie, get help.” Lassie would run off to the sheriff’s office and bark up a storm. The sheriff would say, “What’s the matter, Lassie?” and Lassie would keep barking until the sheriff followed her to rescue Timmy. See you next week.  “Helping lenders increase revenue, lower costs, and better manage risk.” Joe Garrett (510) 469-8633 Mike McAuley (281) 250-2536 www.garrettmcauley.com  |
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