800 immigrants become US citizens in Sacramento ceremony. ‘What makes our country so great’
As Vanh Chanthavong wiped away tears and recited the U.S. oath of allegiance, her mind was on the past 44 years.
In 1981, at just 8, she immigrated from her home country of Laos. She spent the next few decades living unlawfully in the U.S. For reasons unknown to her, her citizenship application was previously denied twice.
On Wednesday morning, all those years of waiting had finally paid off. Chanthavong was among the 800 people who packed into Sacramento Memorial Auditorium for a 30 minute ceremony to become official citizens of the United States.
“I’m happier than ever. … All this time, I’ve been here, I’ve been trying to get here,” Chanthavong said.
The newest citizens, from 80 countries, proudly waved their small American flags during the naturalization ceremony. Mexico, India, the Philippines and Afghanistan were the top nations these new citizens hailed from.
The process of becoming a U.S. citizen, also known as naturalization, varies greatly. The most common path is by being a lawful permanent resident for at least five years.
Like Chanthavong, some new citizens shed tears while saying the oath of allegiance — a promise of loyalty to the U.S. and the final step in the naturalization process. Others cheered loudly when their country was called or recorded the entire event with their phones.
“Your faith in America, that makes this place a better place, each and every day, Rep. Doris Matsui, D-Sacramento, told the crowd. “You refresh America, and that is what makes our country so great.”
Looming over her comments was President Donald Trump’s aggressive push for an immigration crackdown. The new president has promised the largest mass deportation in American history and his administration has ramped up its enforcement efforts in recent days.
“To me, that is a way to scare people and to have the public look at immigrants in a different way,” said Matsui following Wednesday’s ceremony. “But as we saw today, this is what makes our country great.”
During the 2024 fiscal year, 818,500 new citizens were welcomed in naturalization ceremonies, according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. The top country of birth for people naturalizing last year was Mexico with 13.1%. Naturalization ceremonies with larger amounts of people are typically held once a month in the Sacramento region.
After the Sacramento ceremony, families posed for photos and strangers exchanged congratulations outside the auditorium. Some new Americans, like Hector Arreola, 20, were dressed for the occasion.
“You got to dress for success,” said Arreola, who wore a black suit and tie.
Arreola immigrated 10 years ago from Jalisco, Mexico, alongside his parents and two sisters. He is the first in the family to secure citizenship.
“Hopefully, I become a role model for them, so they want to do it and to fight for it,” he said.
Arreola’s decision already had an immediate effect by Wednesday morning. His 23-year-old sister Fatima Arreola kept repeating two words to her family throughout the ceremony.
“I’m next.”
This story was originally published January 29, 2025 at 2:45 PM.
