Thursday marked the “happiest day in Tulsa,” as the city’s mayor coined it, when 77 children from 24 countries took their oaths of allegiance to the United States and became citizens.
About 300 people surrounded the Reading Tree in the Gathering Place during Tulsa’s second child citizenship ceremony.
Bruce Paulin, director of the Oklahoma City Field Office of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service, began the ceremony by calling the names of each country of origin represented in the ceremony.
For some countries, including Mexico and Thailand, about a dozen children stood as their country was called and smiled at the onlookers. For others, such as Bangladesh and Ukraine, only one child stood and waved, but each did so with a beaming smile and pride.
The rows of kids stood tall with their hands across their chests as Oklahoma State University student Valeria Martinez played “The Star Spangled Banner” on the violin.
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Friends and families cheered as their young loved ones strutted in front of the stage to receive certificates recognizing their U.S. citizenship.
The ceremony created a sense of excitement and happiness for sisters Cing Lian, 13, and Kam Vung, 8, from Burma. After six years of living in the U.S., Cing Lian said she felt very thankful to be recognized as a citizen as Kam Vung clung to her older sister’s arm and smiled.
During the ceremony, Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum said the children are a reminder that the United States is a beacon of freedom. He said immigrants and children of immigrants have been good to Tulsa, adding that he’s excited to see what the children accomplish within the city and the country.
“I get to greet you as the first elected official to ever do that,” Bynum said. “As my fellow Americans, that torch has been passed to you. This city, this state and this country are going to be what you make of it.”
Ytzim Martinez, 12, from Mexico, felt similar sentiments and excitement for the opportunities that come with U.S. citizenship. She said she moved to the U.S. when she was 8 years old and has lived in Tulsa since.
She said it was nice not only to receive a certificate but to watch other children from different countries receive theirs, as well. She joked about her relief that the ceremony was outside in a beautiful park instead of in a courtroom.
During the ceremony’s conclusion, the Sistema Tulsa Community Youth Orchestra played “America the Beautiful” as the children ran to their families with documentation proving their citizenship in a country they call home.
“There are not a lot of times that you get to see history get made, that you get to meet historic figures, and yet everybody here today has that opportunity, thanks to you,” Bynum told the children. “There are people 200 years from now who will have better lives because of you.”
Featured video: Discovery Lab at Gathering Place grand opening
Interactive exhibits include Ballapalooza, a network of tubes, ropes, buckets and balls; and HydroLab, where kids can draw pictures that appear in a waterfall, channel water and explore the science behind water vapors.
"This city, this state and this country are going to be what you make of it."
— Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum, to new citizens
Alexia Aston
Staff Writer
