CAMDEN, N.J. (CBS) — As the country celebrates its 248th birthday, dozens of new American citizens celebrated their own milestone on Thursday.
“I see freedom,” said Jonathan A. Monger as he looked at the American flag flying on the pier near the battleship USS New Jersey. “I see this country as a great country and a country full of opportunities.”
Monger is one of 42 men and women who took the oath of U.S. citizenship during a special ceremony aboard the battleship New Jersey, including nine members of the U.S. military.
“It’s a journey that I’ve been on and I expect to continue and I appreciate it because it falls on Independence Day,” Monger said. “That makes it historic and it’s a great day in my life.”
The candidates for citizenship were all lawful permanent residents and met the requirements for naturalization, including passing a history and citizenship exam, unless exempt.
In the 2023 budget year, more than 878,500 new citizens were naturalized during nationwide ceremonies.
“We all know that every immigrant has a special or incredible story to tell about how our journey began and we believe in the process of this immigration and it is a dream come true for us,” said Armand Arana, who immigrated to the Northeast in 2006. “It’s about freedom, opportunity and greatness.”
The candidates for citizenship come from 21 countries: Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ghana, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, India, Jamaica, Jordan, Liberia, Mexico, Montenegro, Nigeria, Norway, Peru, Philippines, South Korea, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom and Venezuela.
