Newly Sworn Citizens Beam with Pride at Akron Naturalization Ceremony

Shelley Blundell spent part of her birthday becoming a naturalized American citizen.

Blundell, along with 38 others, were newly minted Americans Friday in a ceremony held at the Akron-Summit County Public Library downtown.

“Today, I think, is probably the most relief I’ve felt in years,” Blundell said.

She said that during her 25 years in the country, she has sometimes wondered whether the complex naturalization process was worth it. Blundell emigrated from South Africa, where she said opportunities were few. America, however, offered him many more options, including working for a year as a librarian at the Akron Beacon Journal. She is now the director of education at the Victim Assistance Program.

“Watching my family grow and starting a family on my own, with all the people I’ve met, I know I made the right decision,” Blundell said.

Christa Mory followed her husband, a soldier, to America from Germany 50 years ago and never looked back.

“I like the tolerance that Americans showed,” Mory said. “Lately, I’m a little disappointed that it’s not as much as it was in the first 45 or 50 years.”

She is “thrilled,” she said, to be able to vote.

Mory and Blundell are both concerned about the new administration of President-elect Donald J. Trump, but said its threats to deport them or other new Americans ring hollow.

“They’re naturalized; they’re doing well now,” Mory said. “Even Mr. Trump can’t do anything.”

Blundell’s concerns stem from the politicization of immigration that has propelled the issue to the top national agenda in recent election cycles. She wanted to be naturalized before Inauguration Day because, she said, the changing of the guard — whoever arrives — often leads to changes in the process, as the politics of the person in charge become the motivation behind politics.

“I would be concerned under any administration,” Blundell said, “but there are important legal protections for naturalized U.S. citizens that transcend bodies politic and are actually embedded in the fabric of the Constitution that citizens naturalized must be treated the same as if they themselves were born here as American citizens, so this would be a challenge that the Supreme Court would take up.

Message from U.S. Rep. Emilia Sykes shared with new citizens

U.S. Rep. Emilia Sykes, D-Akron, was scheduled to preside over the ceremony, but her congressional duties kept her in Washington as lawmakers worked Friday on a deal to keep the government open after a bipartisan resolution failed on financing.

Sykes District Manager Aja Mixon led the proceedings, which included pre-recorded video remarks from Sykes.

“It’s often said that America is a nation of immigrants,” she said. “But what makes America truly unique is that we are a nation of ideas. The idea that all men are created equal, that opportunity should be given to anyone who is willing to work for it, and that liberty is the most fundamental right of our democracy. “This is the promise of America, and as naturalized citizens, you now have a responsibility to uphold these values ​​in your daily lives. “

“You don’t just join a community,” Sykes said, “you become part of a long tradition of immigrants who have built and continue to build a better future for themselves and others.”

Before administering the Pledge of Allegiance, Judge John R. Adams of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio delivered remarks.

“You make this country better with the legacy of the land you left behind to come here,” he said. “Do not abandon this heritage. Call on its strengths and wisdom to enrich your life and that of your fellow citizens. For each of you, a journey ends today and a new adventure begins. Each of you has come once a stranger and now you are one of us.”

Adams asked the new citizens to raise their right hands and, after finishing reading the oath, to affirm aloud their acceptance.

Then, one by one, they were called onto the stage and given naturalization certificates.

International Institute staffer urges new citizens to ‘stay curious’ and ‘engage’

Candice Gage, managing attorney of the Akron International Institute, also gave a speech.

She encouraged the 39 new citizens to “stay informed, stay curious and engage in discussions that strengthen the fabric of this country.”

“Immigrants have always been and always will be a vital thread in the history of this nation,” Gage said, “from the earliest days of its formation to the present. Your stories, your struggles and your successes s ‘add to this rich narrative, reminding us of the diverse, complex and dynamic nature of the place we all call home.

In closing, Mixon and Adams encouraged new Americans to register to vote at one of the tables located outside the auditorium.

Mixon thanked everyone who attended and participated in the ceremony.

“It was inspiring to witness this important moment in your life,” she said, adding that the nearby Sykes office was open to them at any time, “ready to help in any way possible.”

Contact reporter Derek Kreider at [email protected] or 330-541-9413

This article originally appeared in the Akron Beacon Journal: 39 immigrants become U.S. citizens at Akron naturalization ceremony.