New Americans Take Oath In Abingdon

ABINGDON, Va. – Seven people sat shoulder to shoulder on a hard wooden bench in a U.S. District courtroom here Friday to face a judge who ultimately gave each of them what they deserved – U.S citizenship.

They came from the Dominican Republic, India, France and other countries. Each traveled different and difficult paths to get there. After years of fulfilling procedural requirements, including interviews, lots of paperwork and fingerprinting, their patience and desires finally paid off. 

“Opportunity,” was the one word 29-year-old Amine Mohamed El Alami, a former citizen of Morocco, used to sum up why he came to America. “When I got here this morning, I was looking around the courtroom. I got goose bumps looking at the flag.”

Alami first came to Virginia about 10 years ago after completing high school in Morocco. He stayed with friends, planning his path to citizenship and working toward his dream to become a restaurant owner.

Now living in Marion, Va., with his wife, Jessica, and their 1-month-old daughter, Johara, Alami owns and operates The Tuscan Italian Grill in Marion and Abingdon. Plans for a third restaurant are in the works.

“The opportunities were available in Morocco,” he said. “But what I’ve accomplished here would have taken 30 years there. This is not only about the materialistic side of things. I definitely believe this is the No. 1 country in the world.” 

When asked what first stood out about Americans in general, Alami said it was their “unexpected helpfulness and openness.”

“This is a good opportunity for me to say this,” he said. “The picture most Americans see of themselves – the way they are told they are – is what is seen in the visual media here. I call it Hollywood America. It really is not that way.” 

Alami and six others looked up at U.S. District Judge James P. Jones as their names were read aloud.

They were then asked to stand, raise their right hands and swear an oath to protect the Constitution.

“It’s a wonderful thing you’re doing today,” Jones said after rising from his seat. “I know your families are proud of you. But I want to tell you we are doubly proud. Our country is one of immigrants that have come here to make their lives better.”

After the remarks, those present, including about 50 friends and family of the newly documented citizens, rose to their feet and recited the Pledge of Allegiance.

The new Americans renounced their allegiance to any king or government and one by one stepped forward to receive their certificates of naturalization, which finalized their citizenship.

With the ceremony winding down, a bright-eyed 5-year-old named Ted Boyd waved a small American flag when his mother, Svitlana Boyd, 42, formerly of the Ukraine, received her certificate of naturalization.

“You are lucky that you live here,” she told the Herald Courier as she leaned over her plate of snacks during a reception following the ceremony. “I’m talking about the opportunities and freedoms you have. To really understand, you have to go to other countries. Stay there for a few months. When you come back, you will see. You will realize how good it is here.”

The main reason Boyd came to America was to marry a man she met on the Internet, Warren Boyd, of Cedar Bluff, Va. The two traveled back and forth to see each other until they married in 2000, and her quest to become an American began.

“Ted taught the Pledge of Allegiance to his mother,” Warren Boyd said. “We were on our way over here to the courtroom today in the car and he would say one part and she would say another.”

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