“The world will soon be yours… Approach your task with boldness and hope and the joy of challenge in your hearts—and with dedication to freedom and human dignity. For this is the only route to peace with justice. Good luck, then… I, for one, believe in you.” — Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1966.
While this quote from the former President of the United States was originally directed at the nation’s youth, it once again rang true for another group of United States citizens.
On Wednesday, July 1, in Abilene, Kansas, at the Eisenhower Presidential Library, the Honorable Rachel E. Schwartz, a judge with the U.S. District Court of Kansas, presided over a naturalization ceremony. The group, representing nearly 20 countries, raised their right hands and recited the Naturalization Oath of Allegiance in front of family and friends. They officially became United States citizens, gaining all the rights, privileges, and civic duties that citizenship brings.
There are 140 words in the Naturalization Oath of Allegiance, but for many who recited it, those words represent years of work to become a United States citizen. For Caroline Galan from Brazil, the process has taken seven years. Galan has lived in the U.S. for nearly 18 years, longer than she lived in Brazil. She came to the U.S. for school, where she met her now husband, Daniel Galan, a native Kansan. She says that originally, she didn’t expect to have the privilege of becoming a U.S. citizen.
The day meant everything to her, and she admits that, looking back, it’s been a long journey. Galan began to tear up and said the U.S. has become her home and that “It’s a privilege to now officially be a part of this big nation as a citizen.” The Galans are expecting their first child and spent time after the ceremony taking a few photos with a sonogram and an American flag in hand.
Alexey Milakhin and Daria Milakhina from Russia have lived in the U.S. since the early 2000s. Now with two children, they are active in their community. Alexey said he couldn’t believe the process was finally over and suggested that maybe the realization hadn’t fully sunk in. His wife, Daria, was a bit more excited to share what she looks forward to as an American. She stated, “Now I can vote… especially in the local elections.”
Soon America will celebrate its 250th birthday, and this July 4 holiday will surely mean a little more to the 51 new Americans who took the Oath of Allegiance this week. For those of us who witnessed the ceremony, myself included, it was also a chance to reflect—to set aside the divisions that often dominate our attention and remember the opportunities, freedoms, and responsibilities we share as Americans. Our nation is far from perfect, but seeing others work so hard for the privilege of calling it home is a powerful reminder not to take that privilege for granted.
Story and Photos by Tanner Colvin / Ask a Kansan
Tanner Colvin is renowned area photographer. He is also a photojournalist and producer with Ask a Kansan, a podcast focusing on the perspectives, lives, and stories of Kansans.
