Mineola High School hosted the first naturalization ceremony held in a public school on Long Island in over twenty years on Feb. 12.
Some 50 new citizens from 23 countries took the Oath of Allegiance to the United States of America.
The new citizens were welcomed with a performance of the National Anthem by the Mineola High School A Capella Choir and an opening address by Deputy Superintendent of Mineola Public Schools Catherine Fishman before being administered the Oath of Allegiance by Judge Alan S. Trust.
Following the Pledge of Allegiance and a Mineola High School orchestra performance of America the Beautiful, Judge Joseph F. Bianco gave the keynote address, highlighting his family’s experience as immigrants from Italy and America’s opportunities to its citizens.
“By virtue of that oath that you just raised your hand and swore to, this country is now as much your country as it is my country,” said Bianco. “As of this day, your citizenship stands equal to that of every single other American. This country embraces you and bestows upon you all the freedoms, protections, and guarantees of the United States Constitution and the laws of the United States of America.”
The naturalization ceremony was livestreamed across the Mineola School District.
