Theodore Roosevelt Island sits in the Potomac River in Washington and honors America’s 26th president, Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt.
On most days, local people visit the island to escape city life. But on a recent Monday morning, more than 40 people from 28 countries arrived at the island for a different reason. Instead of exploring, they became citizens of the United States.
“I’d also like to thank the National Park Service for hosting us here at Theodore Roosevelt Island. …”
That is Sarah Taylor of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. The agency is celebrating the National Park Service’s 100th anniversary this year by holding citizenship ceremonies in national parks across the country.
The agency has already held more than 100 ceremonies, including at well-known parks such as the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone National Park, but also at smaller sites, such as Theodore Roosevelt Island and Harpers Ferry National Historical Park in West Virginia.
A gorgeous backdrop @HarpersFerryNPS for each soon to be #NewUScitizen to #FindYourPark on the #NPS100 http://pic.twitter.com/uSs55R9MLZ
— Jane Cowley (@USCISMediaPA) August 25, 2016
New citizens and new voters
The ceremonies mark the end of an immigrant’s effort to gain citizenship. But they also mark a new beginning.
The citizenship ceremony at Theodore Roosevelt Island took place on the final day to register to vote for the November 8 elections in nearby Virginia.
For Maria Sifontes, the ability to vote in the upcoming elections was a major reason why she wanted to become a citizen this year. Sifontes, from Venezuela, came to the U.S. in 2007 to study. She now works in the Washington area as a lawyer.
“I decided to become a citizen because I really wanted to vote this year,” she said. “I feel that we need to be more involved in the democracy of the country.”
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