[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 4]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 5642]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




       RECOGNIZING NORTHWEST INDIANA'S NEWLY NATURALIZED CITIZENS

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. PETER J. VISCLOSKY

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 10, 2016

  Mr. VISCLOSKY. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure and sincerity 
that I take this time to congratulate thirty-one individuals who will 
take their oath of citizenship on Friday, May 13, 2016. This memorable 
occasion, presided over by Judge Joseph Van Bokkelen, will be held at 
the United States Courthouse and Federal Building in Hammond, Indiana.
  America is a country founded by immigrants. From its beginning, 
settlers have come from countries around the world to the United States 
in search of better lives for their families. Oath ceremonies are a 
shining example of what is so great about the United States of 
America--that people from all over the world can come together and 
unite as members of a free, democratic nation. These individuals 
realize that nowhere else in the world offers a better opportunity for 
success than here in America.
  On May 13, 2016, the following people, representing many nations 
throughout the world, will take their oaths of citizenship in Hammond, 
Indiana: Inger Adriana Hamilton, Allen Grayson Oliver, Filip Kaevski, 
Deepa Majumdar, Mary Kumba Narsu Nyuma, Harnek Singh Bhangoo, Leda 
Louie Medera Sarmiento, Reynaldo Zavala Reyes, Dhruti Dharmesh Shah, 
Shaymaa Kareem Abdulameer, Saima Ali Khan, Lyubov Mykolayivna Shteyn, 
Obren Gutovic, Eugenio Miranda Leon, Andrea Leal Espino, Carlos Grageda 
Arzate, Mary Cruz Aguilar, Mia Bella Alvarado, Arturo Amezcua, Elena 
Leona Bowser, Sherry Chen, Jose Estrada, Fatima Dinora Vazquez, Maria 
Concepcion Gonzalez, Tin Mang Hlawnceu, Emilia Tabas Jagier, Jesse 
Jimenez, Mirlym Italia Milfort, Dimitar Vladimir Paunche, Rose Tran, 
and Chinelo Marilyn Udokoro.
  Although each individual has sought to become a citizen of the United 
States for his or her own reasons, be it for education, occupation, or 
to offer their loved ones better lives, each is inspired by the fact 
that the United States of America is, as Abraham Lincoln described it, 
a country ``. . . of the people, by the people, and for the people.'' 
They realize that the United States is truly a free nation. By seeking 
American citizenship, they have made the decision that they want to 
live in a place where, as guaranteed by the First Amendment of the 
Constitution, they can practice religion as they choose, speak their 
minds without fear of punishment, and assemble in peaceful protest 
should they choose to do so.
  Mr. Speaker, I respectfully ask you and my other distinguished 
colleagues to join me in congratulating these individuals who will 
become citizens of the United States of America on May 13, 2016. They, 
too, are American citizens, and they, too, are guaranteed the 
inalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. We, 
as a free and democratic nation, congratulate them and welcome them.

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