LaPlace hosting citizenship oath for 1st time
Published 12:05 am Saturday, August 15, 2015
LAPLACE —The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ will hold a naturalization ceremony on Wednesday in LaPlace.
David Gatt
New Orleans Field Office Director Stanley Crockett will administer the Oath of Allegiance to 153 candidates who will become America’s newest citizens. The ceremony will be held in conjunction with the American Legion. The American Legion’s National Commander Michael Helm will be at the ceremony to address the new citizens.
“The American Legion has been invited to host the naturalization ceremony,” LaPlace Legion Post Commander David Gatt said. “We chose LaPlace because it had the best venue.”
Hosting the ceremony is a team effort.
“It’s not just our post, although we have become the cornerstone post, the ceremony is being held by the second district,” Gatt said.
The ceremony starts at 10 a.m. Wednesday at St. John the Baptist Community Center, 2900 Highway 51 in LaPlace.
“I mostly looking forward to congratulating the new citizens of the United States,” said Gatt.
“It will be a privilege to shake hands with brand new citizens.”
An event like this has not been held in the LaPlace area before.
“It demonstrates to the community that we are involved in community relations and we are very much interested in being a part of inducting new citizens into the United States,” Gatt said.
At the ceremony the new citizens will stand to take the Oath of Allegiance, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag and then receive a certificate giving them the privileges of citizens, like voting, Gatt said.
“The members of our post locally here in LaPlace have combined their efforts to make this a real professional happening, and we wish all of those in the ceremony all the best of luck in the future,” Gatt said.
The citizenship candidates originate from 42 countries: Bahamas, Bangladesh, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Congo-Kinshasa, Croatia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Germany, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, India, Iraq, Israel, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Mexico, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Romania, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Sweden, Thailand, United Kingdom, Venezuela, Vietnam and Yemen.
