Wednesday, December 19, 2001
The events of Sept. 11 did not dissuade the immigrants' desires to become citizens.
By BOB JACKSON
VINDICATOR COURTHOUSE REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Eva Yihua Liang beamed as she looked at her 3-year-old son, who sat on her lap waving a small American flag.
"This is a great day for me," she said moments later.
Liang, 37, of Boardman, was among seven people who became naturalized United States citizens Tuesday in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court. They were from Romania, Poland, Mexico, Jordan, China, Uganda and Latvia.
An eighth candidate, from the United Kingdom, was on the list but did not show up.
"Finally I was able to do this," she said, smiling and tousling her son's hair. "He was born here, so is automatically a citizen," she said.
She has wanted to become a citizen for years, but her family's transient lifestyle had kept her from being able to complete the requirements. She is a registered nurse and her husband is a physician. They have moved several times whenever he changed jobs.
The events of Sept. 11, when terrorists attacked the World Trade Centers in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., did not dissuade them from becoming citizens.
"We love this country. It gives us so much opportunity," Liang said. She and her husband moved here 11 years ago from China.
Jordanian: The terrorist attacks did make 35-year-old Ahakeem Ahmad of Canfield nervous about becoming a citizen, but not enough to change his mind.
"I was nervous about it with what's going on in the world right now," he said. "But I would do anything for this country."
Ahmad came here 10 years ago. He was a college student in war-torn Jordan and fled to America for safety and opportunity. He landed in Chicago, where he learned to speak English. He then moved to Florida where he met and married his wife, and eventually settled here.
Since the terrorist attacks, people have looked at him and his family differently because of their Middle Eastern names, but he says they are true Americans.
"For what happened Sept. 11, we are so sorry," he said. "Personally, I won't relax until I see justice served."
Ceremony: Judge James C. Evans presided over the ceremony and welcomed the new citizens. He read them excerpts from a 1924 book called, "The Book of Courage: A Little Book of Brave Thoughts," which includes quotations about courage and citizenship.
It was the county's first naturalization ceremony since July, and county Clerk of Courts Anthony Vivo said he could not recall going so long without a ceremony in years.
bjackson@vindy.com