New Citizens Go to the Top : INS Chief Swears Them In, and at ‘Happiest Place on Earth’ No Less

Amid flying white pigeons, confetti blowers and a choir that belted out “America the Beautiful,” more than 240 new citizens from 60 foreign countries recited the oath of allegiance at Disneyland’s Town Square on Thursday, led by the top U.S. immigration official.

Commissioner Gene McNary, head of the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service, took advantage of a new law effective Oct. 1 to swear in his first batch of new citizens.

While immigrants used to be naturalized only by judges in a “stuffy old courtroom,” the new law allows other federal officials to take over the task, McNary said. The change is aimed at cutting into a backlog that can leave people waiting months for a free courtroom, he explained.

McNary said that the long delays--fueled by increases in naturalization requests--have inconvenienced would-be citizens and “detracted from the seriousness” of the event.

And Disneyland on Thursday was far from the “stuffy old courtroom” that McNary complained about. Indeed, the bright colors and pageantry proved closer to an ultimate “Kodak moment.” For Jirair Garabedian, 25, born in Pakistan, it was “overwhelming” to see the red, white, and blue banners, a U.S. Marine color guard, and the media recording it all.

He added: “I think it was very dramatic. I don’t think I’ll ever forget this day. I feel very special, not only because I became a citizen today, but because this was a special event done at Disneyland.”

Garabedian, who lives in Upland, has been in the United States about six years. He was among the hundreds of new citizens and supporters, some waving small American flags and many sporting “Bill of Rights” celebration buttons, who gathered just off Disneyland’s famed Main Street.

Among the dignitaries seated in front of the flag-draped train station were Robert M. Moschorak, INS district director in Los Angeles, Jack Lindquist, president of Disneyland, U.S. District Judge Alicemarie H. Stotler, and McNary.

In keeping with the Magic Kingdom’s theme, a giant cardboard eagle rose on cue, hoisting a 15-foot copy of the U.S. Constitution. As the Azusa Pacific University choir and orchestra sung the “Star-Spangled Banner” to end the festivities, dozens of white pigeons were released, and confetti blowers flowered the crowd.

“We came up with the event because it’s never been done before. It was a first for Disneyland, to have about 250 candidates be sworn in,” Disneyland spokesman John McClintock said.

In addition to the lavish ceremony, the new citizens were offered breakfast and a free day in the park, McClintock said.

The event was co-sponsored by members of the Constitutional Rights Foundation, the Los Angeles-based organization in charge of the nationwide 200th anniversary of the signing of the Bill of Rights.

Amanda McBride, the foundation’s associate director, said her organization selected Disneyland because it was as “all-American as you can get.”

With the new law, McBride said, the foundation sought to create awareness of the Bill of Rights by involving the entire community.

While some in Congress have talked about legislation to return the ceremonies to the courtrooms once again, INS officials say they believe the present setup is a positive change.

Future ceremonies will likely be more modest. But the new ceremony format, said Virginia Kice, an INS spokeswoman, will hopefully help the INS carry a more positive message on citizenship. Kice said she believes that U.S.-born citizens think of the unwieldy and lengthy citizenship process as something of “a mystery.”

Under the new law, the U.S. attorney general or his designee, such as McNary, is authorized to give the oath. The law includes a list of officials who can also authorize a designee, Kice said.

About a third of Thursday’s new citizens came from the Philippines, Vietnam and Mexico.

Vietnam-born Mai Nguyen, 21, of Westminster looked radiant in a white blouse, with a touch of blue in her coat.

“I’m so happy!” she exclaimed. “I’ve been here eight years and I wanted to become a citizen after I realized what America stands for.”

Wartouhi Jerahian, a 51-year-old grandmother from Kuwait, lives in Valencia, where her husband works as a purchasing manager for a carpet store.

“I’ve lived in the United States for 13 years,” Jerahian said. “I have my whole family here, including my three grandchildren. But I decided to become a citizen because as long as I’m living here, I want to show my respect to this country.”

And what did she think of the ceremony? “I cried. I respect America so much, and the ceremony was so beautiful, I was crying.”