Ithaca, N.Y. — 38 people from 24 different countries were sworn in as U.S. citizens during a Naturalization Ceremony in Ithaca on Wednesday.
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The ceremony started with the Opening of Court.
Following that was the Roll Call of Petitioners. Tompkins County Clerk Aurora R. Valenti called everyone to the front of the room, one after the other, apologizing if she couldn’t pronounce some of the names.
Hon. Robert C. Mulvey (Supreme Court Justice Presiding) made a ruling on the motion, and then asked everyone to raise his or her right hand as he read the Oath of Allegiance.
Then Aurora R. Valenti spoke again.
She started by saying how this was her last year in her position after many years, then she introduced her successor. She gave a speech about how she was the daughter of two Italian immigrants.
She then introduced members of the Ithaca Talent Education School, a group of student musicians that played “America the Beautiful” for the Court.
Among the countries represented by the new citizens: Argentina, Armenia, Burma, Canada, China, the Czech Republic, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, France, Germany, Iran, Japan, Kenya, Nigeria, Peru, Romania, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Ukraine and the United Kingdom.
