Two dozen Granite Staters, hailing from 18 countries, became American citizens Friday in Concord, at a naturalization ceremony held at the state archives.
Gov. Chris Sununu, Sen. Maggie Hassan, and other state officials spoke at the event, encouraging the new Americans to use their citizenship to engage with New Hampshire’s robust civic life.
Luanna Currie is originally from Brazil and has been living in the U.S. for five years. She described the U.S. as “a country that embraces immigrants.”
“It feels amazing,” she said of her new citizenship. “It feels like a dream.”
Anna Maria Muwonge was trained as a doctor in her home country of Uganda and is starting a family medicine residency in the U.S. in July.
“I felt like the opportunity to come here and gain citizenship and be able to treat people and learn new skills would be a dream come true for me,” she said.
She lives in Nashua with her husband Mathias, who is also a doctor from Uganda and became a citizen in 2019. The couple are expecting a baby next month.
Santos Orellana, who is originally from El Salvador, has been living in the U.S. since 1999. His family planned to mark the momentous occasion with a party later that afternoon.
“A big barbecue,” he said.
