Duckworth Welcomes 194 Newly-Naturalized Citizens in Springfield
[SPRINGFIELD, IL] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. District of Central Illinois Judge Colleen Lawless today to welcome nearly 200 residents from 49 different countries for the first time as United States citizens in the U.S. District Court Central District of Illinois Naturalization Ceremony. In her remarks to the new Americans, Duckworth highlighted the importance of diversity in strengthening our nation and her love for our country. Photos from today’s ceremony are available on the Senator’s website.
“For everyone here today, whether your journey started in Malaysia or Morocco, Bolivia or Bangladesh, your hard work and dedication make your stories the American Dream,” Duckworth said. “I want to thank you for making this nation better, for making America more American. I couldn’t be prouder to now call you my fellow citizens.”
Full remarks as prepared below:
Hello, everyone! It’s an honor to be here to witness this moment.
First off, I just want to say congratulations.
We may come from different counties or different countries… we may say different prayers and have different skin tones...
But we’re here today because we all love this nation, and each of us knows that our differences make this country stronger... We know that our diversity is what has always made America great.
My own family moved to this country when I was a teenager.
We struggled. My mom was kept half a world away from us for six months, forced to stay behind because unlike me, my brother and my father, she wasn’t born an American citizen.
But time and time again, the generosity of our neighbors helped us scrape by… keeping us from going hungry… keeping a roof over our heads.
To me, that is America at its best: a 3.5-million-square-mile community where someone who isn’t wealthy would still reach into their own pocket to help a stranger… no matter the country where they were born or the fluency of their English.
That remains true today, even throughout the hate and divisiveness we’ve seen of late.
America is still filled with those generous strangers… with people, like those of you raising your right hands and taking the Oath of Allegiance today, who know the true power of diversity.
Because diversity isn’t “just” a feel-good issue.
Diversity makes us smarter, as it widens our perspectives.
It makes us sharper, as it shatters our assumptions.
And it makes us stronger, as it deepens our bonds, leading us to treat as equals those who look, love or speak differently than we do ourselves.
We are a nation of immigrants… a union that, yes, at times has been anything but united.
And yes, we’ve had moments when bigotry has prevailed...
But the miracle of America is that when it looks like those worst instincts are set to prevail, we come together… we speak with one voice and fight for each other.
Because we know that this country can only live up to its true potential… can only be that more perfect union… when its states are united and its people undivided.
In many ways, my story is the American Dream.
But for everyone here today… whether your journey started in Malaysia or Morocco… Bolivia or Bangladesh…
Your hard work… your dedication… make your stories the American Dream now, too.
So I want to thank you for making this nation better… for making America more American.
I couldn’t be prouder to now call you my fellow citizens.
Congratulations again!
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