15 people from eight countries take oath as new U.S. citizens

Hailing from as far as Argentina and Brazil to the south, Nigeria to the east, and further east to Asia, 15 people from eight nations gathered in the historic courthouse of Mariposa County to raise their hands in unison and become citizens of the United States.

For Mauro and Kathia Souza, it was a crowning moment after many long years of life in the U.S..

The couple emigrated together from Brazil and for the past 28 years have called Atwater their home. Taking the oath of allegiance as a couple was important, they said.

“We came together to this country and doing it together is very special,” Mauro Souza said after the ceremony Wednesday.

After receiving their green cards 19 years ago, Mauro Souza said they had to wait five more years to be eligible for citizenship. After years of waiting and forgetting to file for citizenship, he said this year they were determined to see the process through.

Kathia Souza said having lived in the U.S. for more than half her life, it feels more like home to her than her birthplace.

“It just feels right,” she said. “I cannot imagine going back to Brazil. I miss my family and the people, but I don’t miss the way of life.”

The Souzas said they decided to leave their homeland to find better opportunities, which they have done professionally and personally.

Kathia Souza is a special education teacher for students with autism, and her husband is the maintenance director for schools.

“We enjoy everything that we do here,” Kathia Souza said.

Lynn Feldman, director for the Fresno Field Office of U.S Citizenship and Immigration Services said the office naturalizes 7,000 to 8,000 immigrants every year.

This group of 15 new citizens, a group Feldman said was smaller than normal, came from eight nations, including Colombia, India, Mexico, the Philippines and Thailand. The new citizens now make their homes in the Valley.

Presiding over the ceremony in the 162-year-old courthouse – the oldest one in continuous use west of the Rockies – was Mariposa County Judge Dana Walton. He reminded the 15 of their rights and responsibilities as U.S. citizens and of the importance of the gift of freedom of speech, something people elsewhere can only imagine, the judge said.

“As an American citizen today, you have been handed a bundle of rights,” Walton said. “You have the absolute right to express your opinion.”

Walton spoke of the opportunities many immigrants seek when they come to the U.S. and congratulated them for the hurdles they conquered to reach this point. He told them never to stop pursuing their goals.

“You have the liberty to determine what you want to do in your life,” Walton said. “You have to pursue it. You have to reach out and grab it.”

Adiyato Shoroye, a Merced resident from Nigeria, said in her homeland everyone dreams of becoming U.S. citizens.

“There is no country like America.” Shoroye said. “Being an American citizen is an honor for me.”

For more than two years, Shoroye said she has lived in Merced and has worked at the prison in Chowchilla. She said she is the only one among her 16 siblings to become a citizen of the U.S., where she said children have so many more opportunities than those in Nigeria.

“It is a dream come true,” Shoroye said. “I went through a lot to get to where I am today.”

Shoroye’s two children applauded and cheered for her as she walked to receive her certificate from Feldman and shake Walton’s hand. American flags were being waved in the crowd by children and smiles took over every face.

“Today is a day I will live to remember,” Shoroye said. “It is an opportunity no amount of dollars can buy.”

This story was originally published July 28, 2016 at 6:44 PM with the headline "15 people from eight countries take oath as new U.S. citizens."