On the eve of Independence Day, 30 active duty U.S. Marines, sailors and soldiers took the oath of citizenship on board the USS Midway Museum in downtown San Diego.
The service members come from 16 different countries including Pakistan, Philippines, Russia and South Africa.
“I’m first-generation American now,” said Lance Corporal Arthur Renno who is from Brazil.
He came to the United States as a child and said joining the Marines gave him a path to citizenship.
“It was a process that took me approximately seven months, and I’ve been in the military since last year,” Renno said.
San Diego Chief U.S. District Judge Cynthia Bashant administered the Oath of Allegiance. She said she gets choked up giving the oath of citizenship.
“I have cried at past immigration ceremonies,” Bashant said. “I think it really rewarding to see a group of people say ‘I want to be a United States citizen’. I think we are a country made up of immigrants.”
Bashant said it’s important to remember what we have in common.
“I feel like Immigration ceremonies are a joyous occasion when we can embrace the fact that we are all United States citizens, despite our very diverse backgrounds and very diverse feelings about the country,” Bashant said.
Becoming a citizen will change how Renno talks about his service, he said.
“I used to say I was serving in another country's military, but now I can say I’m serving in my country's military,” Renno said.
