Projo 7 to 7 News Blog

The Providence Journal/ Andrew Dickerman
Aradhana Mehta (right) holds one of her children, Shivani, 3, while standing with her husband, Sanjay, after her citizenship ceremony at the Roger Williams National Memorial.

PROVIDENCE -- Fifty-one people from 24 nations gathered this morning in the spot where Roger Williams established the Rhode Island colony and swore their allegiance to the United States as the nation’s newest citizens.

Maria Medeiros, 48, of Johnston, was among them. More than 40 years after she and her family arrived here from Portugal, Medeiros stood in the second row of folding chairs set up in the shade at the Roger Williams National Memorial along North Main Street. She held a small American flag and took the oath to serve and protect her new country.

Why now after all these years of "putting it off?"

"It starts to bother you," she said. "To me, this is my country. I live in this country. I love this country. I’m just glad to be a citizen."

U. S. District Court Magistrate Lincoln D. Almond swore in the new citizens, telling them that citizenship was a privilege that unfortunately some people take for granted.

He encouraged them to be active participants in democracy, reminded them that America was a land of immigrants and encouraged them to learn the legacy of Roger Williams, who founded Rhode Island as a refuge for those seeking religious freedom.

-- Journal staff writer Tom Mooney

Comments

Chris Barnett said:

Many of the state's newest citizens are also on their way to becoming the state's newest voters. Secretary of State Mollis opened shop at the citizenship ceremony this morning and registered 15 of the Rhode Islanders who took their Oath of Allegiance to the United States.

The new voters live in Providence, Pawtucket, Central Falls, Bristol, North Providence, Warwick, Cranston and Cumberland. More new voters may be on the way. We handed every one of the newly sworn citizens a voter-registration form as they picked up their citizenship papers.

Not registered yourself? You can download a voter-registration form from our web site at www.sec.state.ri.us. In order to register, you must be residents of Rhode Island, U.S. citizens, at least age 18 on or before Election Day 2008 and have a valid social security number or Rhode Island driver’s license.

Link | July 3, 2008 1:42 PM
Report Abuse

---

Native American said:

Maybe America is a 'land of immigrants' but please do not ever forget that some of us 'immigrants' have been here for over 10,000 years, and that when WE arrived you could drink from the rivers. You could still drink from those rivers 9,800 years later.

Welcome to our ool. Notice that there is no P in it. Please keep it that way.

Link | July 3, 2008 3:49 PM
Report Abuse

---

Leave a comment

Please be civil. Vicious comments, personal attacks and profanity won't be published. Name and email are required; email address will not publish.

Name:

Email:

URL:  

Remember personal info?

Captcha:

Type the characters you see in the picture above.