United States welcomes over 39,000 new citizens
19 September 2008
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The United States will hold special ceremonies for 39,000 new citizens across the country hosted by United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in celebration of Constitution Week. The ceremonies -- held 17 September through 23 September -- will celebrate the signing of the US Constitution on 17 September, 1787.
"This week allows us to focus on the responsibilities of citizenship and the importance of our Constitution," said USCIS Acting Director Jonathan Scharfen.
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"USCIS will hold more than 177 naturalization ceremonies this week to welcome the many men and women who immigrated to America to become US citizens," he added.
Citizenship Day and Constitution Week have been celebrated in America since the 1950s. In 1952, President Harry Truman issued a proclamation designating 17 September as Citizenship Day. In 1956, President Dwight D. Eisenhower procaimed 17 September through 23 September as Constitution Week.
The smallest ceremony will welcome 20 new citizens in St. Albans, Vermont. In Fenway Park, Boston, approximately 3,000 immigrants will be granted US citizenship.
According to USCIS, hundreds of thousands of immigrants are naturalized each year. Since 2000, more than 4.4 million immigrants have become US citizens. Most immigrants during this period originated from Mexico and India.