'The only way to be free': The final step to U.S. citizenship
At a naturalization ceremony held in Memorial Auditorium, we spoke with soon-to-be citizens about what citizenship means to them.
By William Newlin
We arrived at 9 a.m., and the naturalization ceremony was well underway. The line of almost-citizens winding through Memorial’s concession area was reaching its end, although it still wrapped around the entire theater. But the people we interviewed seemed patient. In the scope of their citizenship journey, what were another few hours of anticipation? What was one more form to file?
They all had green cards already, the marker of permanent residency that can take years, if not decades to get. They had all submitted — and paid for — an application for citizenship. They passed background checks, English language exams, and a test of United States history and civics. Today was the day the paperwork, the flash cards, and the waiting all paid off.
Taking an oath of allegiance, more than 350 new Americans swore to shoulder the responsibilities of U.S. citizenship. And they could finally enjoy the privileges that come with it.
We interviewed more than a dozen people, born in places ranging from Costa Rica to Ukraine to India to Vietnam. Many shared similar sentiments about what their citizenship meant.
A core theme — empowerment. People felt they were fully becoming part of the communities they had lived in for 10, 20, or 30 years. They were empowered to vote and, importantly, to travel freely. They wanted to visit family, show their children where they grew up, or simply take a vacation without a care toward their immigration status.
It was powerful. For those of us born in the U.S., we tend to take our citizenship for granted. But citizenship carries with it a sense of belonging and a privilege to participate that wasn’t lost on anyone who waited so long to receive it.
The videos on this page are part of a collaborative video series, Our Voices | Chattanooga, produced by Chattamatters, WTCI PBS, WUTC, and La Paz Chattanooga. Follow Our Voices on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and Facebook.