18 take oath as newest US citizens

The 18 newest U.S. citizens wave U.S. flags and show their certificates in a group photo during a naturalization ceremony held in the U.S. District Court for the NMI on Friday morning. Sitting front from left to right are U.S. Delegate Gregorio Kilili C. Sablan, Magistrate Judge Heather Kennedy, Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona, and Immigration Services officers Diane S. Zedde and Shelia Kelty. (Ferdie de la Torre)

For businessman Adonis Ibanez Santos, obtaining U.S. citizenship means he can now travel everywhere and do whatever he wants like any other American.

Santos, 52, said now he is not worrying about his immigration papers unlike before when there’s no guarantee whether his work contract would be renewed or not.

Santos, a native of Tarlac, Philippines, first came to Saipan in 1986 to work as a mechanic of a diving shop.

Santos saved money from his hard work in 10 years and put up his own shop, Auto Marine.

At present, Santos employs 52 persons and majority of them are locals.

Santos’ son, who was born on Saipan, petitioned him to get a green card.

For Sae Hee Kim, she feels great that she is now a U.S. citizen.

Kim, 38, who hails from South Korea, first came to Tinian in 1994, where she worked part-time as a cashier at a gift shop.

Kim and her family are now staying on Saipan, where they are engaged in manufacturing noni products.

Kim’s father petitioned her to get a green card.

For Estrellita Laxamana Sablan, she is very proud now that she is a U.S. citizen.

“This is the moment we have been waiting for ever since. Today is our day. This is my fourth year to be a green card holder. This is a big bonus day,” said the beaming Sablan.

Sablan, who is a native of Bulacan, in the Philippines, said being a U.S. citizen has a lot of advantages, including being able to travel anywhere in the world. She said she can now pursue other jobs.

Sablan is married to federal court security officer Alexander Sablan. They have a 13-year-old daughter.

Mrs. Sablan first came to Saipan in 1998, where she worked as a waitress then as a bartender at the former Hotel Nikko Saipan.

Mrs. Sablan is currently working as a sales associate at ABC Store.

Santos, Kim, and Sablan were among the 18 persons who took their oath as the newest U.S. citizens during a naturalization ceremony held in the U.S. District Court for the NMI on Friday morning.

Most of the newest citizens are Filipinos. The rest are from South Korea, Kosrae, Romania, and Thailand.

Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona presided over the ceremony.

Immigration Services Officer Shelia Kelty moved to accept the 18 new citizens.

Immigration Services Officer Diane S. Zedde, who is moving to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in Florida this week, served as the guest speaker.

Zedde said the United States welcomes and embraces individuals of different nations who are committed to becoming U.S. citizens.

“You became a U.S. citizen today through your efforts, determination and patience—because you had a dream,” said the emotional Zedde.

Zedde said it’s her last naturalization ceremony on Saipan, but that she remembers that her first ceremony was also Manglona’s first in late 2011.

She said before there were eight to 10 new citizens when ceremonies were held once a year.

Now, she said, there are 20 to 25 citizens in two to three months.

Zedde said she is so happy to be one of the first to congratulate the 18 newest U.S. citizens.

She said the ceremony is especially rewarding for her because she interviewed some of them for their green card a few years ago, and for naturalization.

“I want to take a few minutes to remind you why you are here: Not because you passed the interview or memorized the 100 questions, but because you had a dream—the American dream,” Zedde said.

Zedde said the path to citizenship is not easy as it requires effort, determination, and lots of patience.

“For some, the path may be long, but you have ended your journey to become a U.S. citizen today not because of your wealth or social status, but because of your commitment,” she said.

Aside from Adonis Santos, Sae Kim, and Estrellita Sablan, the other newest U.S. citizens are Myla Diaz Beltran, Rustica Elauria Fermaran, Roxanna Domingo Jacobs, Jesus Ceon Llanes, Fe Marichu Mari Mercado, Toribio Cube Mercado Jr., Betry Augustine Mike, and Lourdes Cunanan Mike.

The other citizens are Jirapha Mills, Juanito Ramos Reyes, Angelita Aquino Romero, Luz Morales Sablan, Roderick Callius Santos, Adrian Alexandru Sufana, and Meziel Niaga Vaughan.