Dozens Of Immigrants Sworn In As U.S. Citizens At Daley Plaza Ceremony
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Wednesday is Constitution Day and dozens of Chicagoans will be celebrating the birth of our nation for the first time as U.S. citizens as they were sworn in today in a special ceremony at Daley Plaza.
CBS 2's Mai Martinez reports 70 immigrants from 25 countries pledged their allegiance to the United States of America and are now officially U.S. citizens.
For Nigel Sherwood, a new U.S. citizen from Jamaica, being citizen means, "more opportunities, better opportunities to be honest."
For many, it was hard not to cry.
"I mean, it's the dream come true. We came here. We'll follow the American Dream," said Marilena Cozma.
And that dream includes a better life for her 10-year-old daughter Alexia Stefan.
"She will have a better life and a better future," Cozma said. "There is nothing that can hold her back."
"I might one day become like a president, now since I am a new citizen, maybe vice president, secretary maybe," Alexia said.
Daley Plaza was designated a federal courtroom just for the occasion of swearing in the new citizens today.
Mai Martinez was asked to emcee the event because both of her parents immigrated to the U.S., her dad from Cuba and her mom from Vietnam. They became U.S. citizens around 40 years ago.
