‘The very best thing I do:’ 38 immigrants welcomed as new U.S. citizens

Oakwood City Schools Superintendent Neil Gupta welcomed the soon-to-be citizens to Oakwood and recounted how his parents immigrated to the U.S. in the 1970s and became naturalized citizens in 1991.

Mannie Williams, an Oakwood High School junior who is his class president and an Advanced Placement government student, said he was impressed by the naturalization ceremony and seeing the Constitution at a very personal level.

“It was incredible, just to see the smiles on their faces, the oath they had to take,” Williams said.

Credit: Marshall Gorby

Credit: Marshall Gorby

The 38 new citizens represented the countries of Argentina, Brazil and Chile from South America; Mexico, Jamaica and St. Lucia from North America/Caribbean; Congo, Nigeria, Rwanda and Uganda from Africa; Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, Ukraine and Russia from Europe; and China, India, Jordan, the Philippines, Thailand, Uzbekistan and Vietnam from Asia.

In the audience watching his parents become citizens was Sruthik Musku, who said he was 5½ years old when his family immigrated from India in 2003 and settled in Centerville.

“I got naturalized a year ago,” he said. “I’m very excited for them.”

Musku said they planned to celebrate by going out to dinner at an Italian restaurant.

Now that she’s a citizen, “it feels more like home,” said Xue Gao, who came to Dayton from China 15 years ago.

She said the decision to become a citizen initially seemed like simply a paperwork process when her green card was nearing expiration.

“I already felt like I belonged here,” Gao said as she struggled to hold back tears.

Newman, who posed for photos with the new citizens after the ceremony, said the district court in Dayton naturalizes between 30 and 50 new citizens each month.

“They want to be here. They’re grateful to be here,” said Newman, who added that he enjoys presiding over the ceremony “so the new citizens know they are welcomed.”

Before the naturalization ceremony, judges held a question-and-answer session with Oakwood eighth-graders.

“We do a lot of civics outreach in our courts,” Newman said. “We’re trying to educate the next generation.”