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31 New Americans Sworn in at Naumkeag
By Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
04:47AM / Thursday, October 13, 2022
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The 31 new American citizens waved their flags with a smile and were congratulated by family, friends, and the community after being sworn in at a ceremony at Naumkeag.


Federal Magistrate Judge Katherine Robertson swears in the new citizens on Wednesday. See more photos here.

STOCKBRIDGE, Mass. — Thirty-one people from 26 countries took the oath of citizenship at Naumkeag on Wednesday.

The new American citizens waved their flags with a smile and were congratulated by family, friends, and the community.

The annual naturalization ceremony held by the Berkshire Immigrant Center included immigrants living in Berkshire County and from throughout the state.

"I've been working at the center for five years and every time that we close a ceremony and I go back home, my husband would ask me 'Did you cry?' to what I usually respond 'I absolutely did,'" Director of Client and Community Services Lorena Dus said.

"And the reason for that is because, as an immigrant myself and even not knowing your personal stories, I know that those are stories of hard work and sacrifice and probably pain because being away from family members and the people that you love the most is not easy and also some are not able to go back to their countries, which is heartbreaking."

She added that the day is to honor the new citizens and their resilience and to thank them for making the country a better place. The process is very costly and can take years of waiting and extensive preparation that ends in a rigorous oral interview and written test.

Raquel Lee came to the United States in 2012 from Costa Rica to expand her horizons and began a career in human services.  

Today, she works as a mental health vocational rehabilitation counselor for the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission, where she has been for about five years.

"I work with a special program in partnership with the Department of Mental Health and I love what I do," Lee said.

"And that's why I wanted to become a citizen because those are the programs that make me believe in this country more and more."

She explained that the program works with individuals with severe mental health issues who haven't had opportunities in the past.

"And now, my job is to expand those opportunities," Lee said. "To be able to be integrated into that community."

Federal Magistrate Judge Katherine Robertson emphasized that the group is truly welcomed to the country.

"We want you here. We need you as U.S. citizens. You belong here," she said.

"This country would not be what it is without people like you who have chosen to live here, chosen to raise your families here, and chosen to work here. We value the contributions you've already made as residents of this country. We value the contributions we know you're going to make as American citizens."

Robertson also pointed to the diversity of the group, coming from countries across five continents including Bhutan, Honduras, and Singapore. She said memories, language, and culture from those countries of origin remain part of who they are and how they contribute to America.

The new citizens were urged to participate in their civic duties and register to vote.

"When you vote, you're expressing your views of how the state and this country should be run, what our laws should be, and how our public money should be spent," Robertson said.

"Your vote can directly affect important questions and you can be as involved in elections as you want to be. You can run for office, maybe not at this late date, but next time around. You can campaign for the candidate of your choice. You can campaign for issues about which you feel strongly."

Archaeologist and award-winning children's author Maria Kamoulakou came to the United States from Greece in 2008 to be with her husband and started writing children's books in 2016.

The Springfield-based author's book "Sky Cloud City: The Adventures of Hope & Trusty" received a Moonbeam Children's Book Award last year. In this chapter book, she retold an ancient Greek play called "The Birds" by Aristophanes for kids.  

Kamoulakou has other works inspired by Greek mythology and hopes to write even more, including a sequel to "Sky Cloud City" in the next couple of years.

"I'm really excited," she said. "It took me 15 years but I decided that I really want to be a part of this community, to be able to vote and have a voice."

Physicist Andrea Pocar, a professor at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, said naturalization is a "natural" thing for him, as he spent half of his life and essentially all of his professional life in this country.

"In a way, it's a rite of passage that is a recognition of who I am," Pocar said.

He said the process has been quite pleasant since submitting an application in January and then going through the interview.

Berkshire Money Management of Dalton was the major sponsor for the event. MountainOne was also a sponsor and Marketplace Kitchen donated refreshments along with other local businesses.

Berkshire Immigrant Center, located at 67 East St. in Pittsfield, is the only nonprofit in the county dedicated solely to meeting the needs of the estimated 10,000 foreign-born residents who live and work in the county.
 
The center serves more than 850 immigrants and their families annually, providing immigration legal services, relief aid, and free classes in beginning English language and citizenship test preparation.  BIC is celebrating 25 years of service to the community this year.

For more information visit berkshireic.org and follow the center on Facebook and Instagram.

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