News  Thirty-one took an oath to become new American citizens today

Woburn, MA — The ceremony is one of two Naturalization ceremonies that are part of the Sixth Annual Cultural Appreciation Week celebration which also features music, dance, art, food and education. A second Naturalization Ceremony is scheduled for Bristol Superior Court on Friday at noon at the Fall River Justice Center.

Chief Justice of the Superior Court Heidi E. Brieger, who presided over the ceremony, told the audience that their new citizenship is another reason to celebrate and that becoming an American citizen should never be taken for granted. Chief Justice Brieger shared her father’s story of becoming a citizen.

“A Naturalization Ceremony like this is deeply meaningful to those being naturalized and to their families. It also has deep meaning for me. In 1939, my father and his parents fled Hamburg, Germany to escape the Holocaust,” she said.  “They sailed across the Atlantic up through the Panama Canal and into San Francisco where they settled with family. My father struggled to learn English and pretended that he did not speak German because our country was at war with Germany. After he became a naturalized citizen, he always kept his naturalization papers and his US passport in his top bureau drawer.”

Chief Justice Brieger continued, “He always told his friends that he was lucky to grow up in the United States of America and he was lucky to grow up at all. This has always had a big impression on me. There is nothing about citizenship in the United States of America that should ever be taken for granted.”

She also quoted Martin Luther King Jr., “We may have come on different ships; but, we are on the same boat now.”

After the brief ceremony where the new Americans received certificates of citizenship, several people reflected on what it means to become an American citizen.

Sonja DuToit, formerly of South Africa, said, “I’m so excited I don’t know what to feel,” as her husband, Gerard, looked on. Ms. DuToit has been in the United States for six years and describes herself as a homemaker who volunteers at a women’s shelter.

Lilly Sharma, who hails from India and has also lived in the US for six years, shared, “I have very mixed emotions. I am really happy to get this opportunity. I feel so blessed.”

Daniel Nganga, a nurse who is from Kenya, said becoming a citizen “means everything!”

Rupin Sandhu, who held her yawning six-week-old son Zain, shared, “I am very proud to become a US citizen. It’s been a long journey and at times, it has been hard; but, it has always been my goal."

Following the ceremony, court employees and members of the public took the elevator to the fifth floor of the courthouse where there was an array of food from all over the world that was donated by local businesses. Malden Mayor Gary Christenson stopped by and was joined by the Malden High School Choir, who performed “The National Anthem.” The event featured a live DJ playing music, an interactive art project, men and women’s jewelry kits, and a giveaway of world flags.

This celebration is one of hundreds of events taking place across the state as part of the Massachusetts Trial Court’s Sixth Annual Cultural Appreciation Week, October 24-28. This year’s theme is “Out of Many, We are One = Equal Justice For ALL.” The Trial Court’s Cultural Appreciation Week is a celebration of culture and diversity of court employees, court users, and the residents in communities surrounding the courts.

In addition to the Naturalization Ceremony, Middlesex Superior Court is among the more than 70 courts, court offices and departments, and Community Justice Support Centers (CJSC) that are hosting food and supply drives across the state to assist those struggling financially. Middlesex Superior Court will donate non-perishable food to local charities.

Cultural Appreciation Week was introduced by Pamerson Ifill, Deputy Commissioner of Pretrial Services for the Massachusetts Probation Service. Each year, Deputy Ifill organizes a group of more than 250 court employees called Cultural Proficiency Champions or Champions who coordinate activities that include art exhibits, music, dance, and food tastings that are open to the public. The events also feature speeches by local leaders.