At Seattle Center 500 take oath to become U.S. citizens;

Albert Chen called his fiancée Saturday to give her the news.

After a two-year engagement, she can come to the U.S. from China as Chen's bride-to-be. He became a U.S. citizen at a Fourth of July naturalization ceremony.

"I just called her last night," said Chen, a 41-year-old chemist from China. "I will call her today, share with her the experience. I think it's a very big event."

Chen was among more than 500 people from 79 countries who took the oath of citizenship Saturday at Seattle Center.

Whether they were motivated by love, like Chen, or by freedom, a fresh start, or the opportunity to vote, for each the certificate received was the end of a long journey.

More than 6,000 people took the oath at about 50 ceremonies across the country, according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. The annual Seattle ceremony is sponsored by the Ethnic Heritage Council.

Applicants for citizenship must be 18 and a permanent resident, must have good moral character, be able to speak and understand English and demonstrate knowledge of U.S. history and government.

Ivan and Nataliya Kerpan, of Everett, are Christians who grew up afraid to speak about their faith in the former Soviet Union. They believe God brought them to the U.S. from their home in the Ukraine because of the religious freedom here.

"We prayed for this, because we wanted to see more countries, and God sent us here ... because Jesus is savior," said Nataliya, who became a citizen six months ago and watched her husband take the oath on Saturday.

Mayor Greg Nickels, U.S. Reps. Jim McDermott and Dave Reichert, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell and Washington Secretary of State Sam Reed were among the officials who spoke at the noon ceremony. They urged the new Americans to vote and find ways to contribute.

"Remind us who have been born here what freedom means," Reichert said. "We sometimes take freedom for granted."

It was hot Saturday under the summer sun. Those taking the oath fanned themselves and made hats out of their programs. Members of the Greenwood Concert Band gulped water between Sousa marches. Friends and family huddled in the shade to hear the speeches.

In the front row of citizenship candidates, 13 men serving in the U.S. military prepared to become citizens. Most of them were preparing to deploy and fight for their new country, if they hadn't already.

"It means quite a bit, being able to be a part of this country," said José Aguayo, who was born in Mexico and moved to the U.S. as a child. He has served one tour in Iraq and expects to be deployed again, probably to Afghanistan.

Wete Tittora joined the Army a year ago and also expects to be deployed to Afghanistan. He emigrated two years ago from Togo and became a soldier out of love for his new home, he said.

"In my country, the best way to show a friend that you love him is to fight together with him against an enemy," he said. "That's the best way to say thank you to my country."


Source