Video available at: https://youtu.be/_xGejJJT5lQ
Commissioner Manuel Castro, Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs: Welcome to everyone. My name is Manuel Castro and I am the commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs. Today, as you reflect on your journey that has brought you to this moment and begin your life as citizens of the United States of America, I want to encourage you to use your new privileges as citizens of this country to support to your neighbor, your new companion. Yorkers, and especially the most vulnerable among us, like newly arrived immigrants, who, like you, at some point aspire to stay here one day to be welcomed as Americans.
Commissioner Castro: I want to congratulate you, your family, and your community for supporting you along the way. Thanks to the team at the USCIS New York Office. And thanks to the team of the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs. Today I am joined by Miosotis Muñoz, our Deputy Commissioner for Foreign Affairs, Shaina Coronel, our Director of Communications. And I also want to thank Cesar Vargas, our legal counsel, a fellow dreamer and officer in the United States Army Reserves for making this possible.
Commissioner Castro: But I want to especially thank Mayor Eric Adams for allowing us to hold this citizenship ceremony on the steps of City Hall. After two decades without passing through our City Hall, we celebrate you, your family and your journey to this point. Thank you Mayor Adams for being the champion of all immigrant communities, the champion of new New Yorkers, and the champion of our newest Americans. Thanks.
Mayor Eric Adams: I want to thank Borough Manager Gray, Commissioner Castro and everyone behind the scenes who make this possible. Such a significant moment. And I am 61 years old and have been a citizen since birth, but my number of years as a citizen does not matter, because on day one, you have all the rights and privileges of being a citizen of the United States. It doesn’t matter if it’s 60 years, if it’s one year, if it’s two years. You are now citizens of this country and part of this elite membership, and you should be proud of it.
Mayor Adams: But let me ask you this question. You tell me, who am I talking about? Come to America, you can leave family members at home, take any job to provide resources, go to school, maybe at night, start a small business. Willing to do whatever it takes to participate in the American dream. Ready to defend the country. If I were to ask you which group I am describing, you would be hard pressed to tell me because that is the path of every immigrant group that has ever come to this country. If you look under the fingernails of each group, you will see that they climbed the mountain of opportunity and waited one hand at a time, and you will see the dirt and grime of saying: I want to be part of the American. dream America’s uniqueness. This is the only country where the dream is attached to its name. Just another place. Nowhere else have you linked the dream to the country. But there is something else unique about this country. This is the only country where we say don’t leave your home country to embrace your new adopted country. Our secret weapon is the script. It is the script found between our cultures, Ghanaian American script, African American script, Chinese American script, Ecuadorian American script, Polish and German script. You hold on to your culture and bring it to America and make this unique experience we call the American dream. This is a great time for you.
Mayor Adams: An infinite number of people have tried to participate and become a part of this unique membership club we call American citizens. And we are not perfect. Indeed, we are perfectly imperfect, but this is the experience we are participating in. We don’t have to be perfect. Perfection is not American, dedication is American. And there is something unique about our immigrants and newcomers to this country. they are hungry they are hungry They are hungry to be part of this experience. During the height of COVID, as I moved through COVID and saw business closings and lack of participation, you know what I saw? I saw that immigrant businesses remained open. I saw that they were still working. I saw them understand that this is an opportunity that America offers, and you should be proud of it.
Mayor Adams: You are very much a part of this country now, not only as citizens, but even before you were citizens fighting in the armed forces. Those of you who are willing to shed blood to water the tree of freedom that we all sit under the shadows of the hateful and divisive actions of those who want to harm this country. But we need a renewal of patriotism. There was a poll that stated that 52% of Americans will not defend this country if it is attacked by foreign enemies. I know and you know you would defend. I know and you know that you would defend this country. I know and you know there is something great about this country. And I know that when you said that promise, you felt something special in your heart. Finally you meant finally. And then you’re a double. You don’t earn it just by becoming a US citizen. You won because you are an American citizen in the greatest city in the world, New York. So you’re winning all around.
Mayor Adams: I’m so excited for you. And I know that in the audience, I think, Francisco Moya’s mother is here. His father came and fought in Vietnam for a living. And now he is the councilor who represents his council. Or how about Commissioner Castro: he came here as a dreamer, crossing the border with his family. He is now the first Mexican-American to head the Office of Immigrant Affairs. From a dreamer to making dreams for other people. And when you look at my administration, Ydanis Rodríguez came here not being able to speak English, still having his Dominican accent, but he’s the first Latino to head the Department of Transportation in the largest and most important city in this country.
Mayor Adams: And when you look around my entire administration, you see yourself. You see people who came here to achieve a dream and are now ready to make sure you can achieve your dream. This is America’s secret weapon. It doesn’t matter where you start, it’s where you can end up. You believe, you chase. take advantage You stand up, you stand tall and there’s nothing you’ll enjoy more than when you travel back to your homeland and are able to pull out your passport with the blue cover and back and gold letters. And they ask you, who are you? You say I am an American citizen. I am a US citizen.
Mayor Adams: And that is respected and admired around the world. And this is the first time in 20 years that we have allowed this ceremony to take place here on these steps. For 24, 23 nations that are here, you are now ambassadors for others who want to come and participate in this American dream. You chase the dream. This is your dream, but it is the dream. Too many people trying to chase the dream live in a nightmare reality as they try to cross borders and come and participate in the dream. They are rejected by other states, but not here in New York, in New York City. We are the guardian of the dream. This is America’s city and you have to go out and make sure that everyone who is trying to achieve the dream has the opportunity to acquire the dream.
Mayor Adams: And for that I thank you on behalf of all New Yorkers, all Americans, all those who have fought to protect the script. You are now members of the club, the advocates of the board, you bring your uniqueness, you bring your culture, you bring your energy, you bring your spirit. Only here you can go to a Chinese restaurant, have a Nigerian cook make a Russian meal that he learned from his Polish girlfriend. Only in America, only in New York. Congratulations to all of you.
