A few weeks ago, more than 800 new Americans took their oath of citizenship on the campus of North Harris College in l this stirring ceremony has been reenacted here some 15 times in the past three years swearing in 13,000 new citizens.
A typical group wild represent 60 countries of origin and 2,500 visitors, including the family members and guests, are invited to a reception we hoist the presiding federal judge. So why should a community college take the time, trouble and expense to host such an event? We do it to remind ourselves of two things.
First, we are all immigrants — in fact, refugees, in some sense. Literally, nearly one in 11 Americans living today were born to another nationality. And virtually all of us can trace our own lineage to an immigrant, whether recent or distant. But in a less literal sense, these naturalization ceremonies remind us that part of being an American, a part of being alive, is to he a pilgrim.
Each one of us is on a journey, each seeking a better life for our families. We all have some dream of being more, contributing more, accomplishing more. We cherish this country, whether our citizenship came to us as a birthright or we sought it out at great cost, because we believe it offers the opportunity for a successful journey to our dreams.
