New Americans take citizenship oath in Gainesville

GAINESVILLE - The 50 or so men and women who earned their U.S. citizenship at a ceremony in Gainesville Friday represented nations from all over the globe, from India to Ghana and El Salvador to Russia.

For the first time since 2009, the naturalization ceremony was held in the courtroom of U.S. District Judge William C. O'Kelley; typically these ceremonies are held monthly in Atlanta.

After taking their oath of citizenship, the new Americans stood for the Pledge of Allegiance, led by Mia Koch, the teenage daughter of Matt Koch, who had stood in the same courtroom years ago where he took his oath of citizenship.

The new citizens heard from Georgia Appeals Court Judge Carla Wong McMillian, whose grandparents immigrated to the Augusta area from China. She encouraged the new citizens to vote and be willing to serve on a jury, as they fulfill their civic duties. McMillian also told them to look for ways to serve their new country, while at the same time remembering the heritage from their home countries.

Before closing the ceremony, Judge O'Kelley read from the Canon of American Citizenship, reiterating some of the comments made by Judge McMillian.

But, he also told the new citizens to remember that the United States is a nation of immigrants.

"All of our ancestors migrated here...some just came earlier than others," he said.

Jing Betty Feng, originally from China, celebrated her new citizenship following the ceremony with her husband and 2-year-old son. She said she began the naturalization process in May 2009.

"Most of the time [was spent] on documentation," she said. "Other than that, just waiting, waiting for each step, reviewing."

While she's been waiting, she's been studying for her PhD at Georgia State University in Atlanta, and she and her husband Zachary Long have been busy raising their 2-year-old son Miles.

Long, who went through the initial interview process when his wife began seeking citizenship, said he was inspired by Friday's ceremony.

"Just seeing all the other people around here, it means a lot to everybody - everyone taking photos, very happy, cheerful moods. It's good to see everything come together for a lot of people, a lot of families."