Children’s Citizenship Ceremony held by USCIS in Commemoration of Flag Day
A special children’s citizenship ceremony was hosted recently by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. This ceremony was held to initiate a week-long commemoration of Flag Day.
About 24 children from 18 different countries were administered the Oath of Allegiance by Alejandro Mayorkas, the Director of USCIS during the Flag Day celebration. During the course of the ceremony the significance of Flag Day was emphasized by USCIS Director. He stated that, “The flag is an important symbol of the principles these young new citizens will carry forward for years to come.”
During the children’s citizenship ceremony, a new children’s art project was also launched. Children aged between 5 and 12 years as of September 11, 2010 from all over the United States are termed eligible to participate in the project and are invited to create an artwork under the theme, “We Are America.” The drawing also needs to be accompanied by a short paragraph depicting the theme and answering the question, “People have come from all over the world to become Americans. Why does that make us great?”
USCIS offices all over the country will showcase the children’s artwork. The participants will be recognized during the commemoration of the National Day of Service and Remembrance on September 11, 2010. USCIS will work on this project in collaboration with public libraries and community-based organizations that assist America’s immigrant communities. Submissions for the project are required to reach the USCIS offices before August 16, 2010.
The weeklong Flag Day celebration was held from June 12 to 18. On June 14, a naturalization ceremony was also included in the celebration at Philadelphia’s Betsy Ross Historical Site where the first “Stars and Stripes” are believed to be sewn. To commemorate Flag Day, USCIS also organized naturalization ceremonies at the Colonial Williamsburg Historical Area in Virginia and the Homestead National Monument of America in Beatrice, Nebraska.