Dozens take oath during naturalization cermony at The Hermitage
The front lawn of The Hermitage, the stately home of President Andrew Jackson, served as the setting for 78 immigrants taking their final step toward American citizenship
— taking an oath of allegiance.
Friday’s naturalization ceremony was one of 180 ceremonies held across the country as part of a week-long commemoration of Constitution Day and Citizenship Day, which both fell on Tuesday. More than 18,000 people across the nation were expected to become citizens between Sept. 16 and 23 in coordinated ceremonies by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
The candidates gathered at The Hermitage originally hailed from 42 countries, and each one spoke their name and country of origin into a microphone that was passed through the group. U.S. Middle District Judge Todd Campbell presided over the ceremony, the Nashville Children’s Choir performed the national anthem, and the McGavock High School Air Force JROTC performed a flag ceremony.
An oath of allegiance has been required of every new citizen since 1790, although the exact wording has been modified several times since. Here is the oath taken by Friday’s new citizens:
“I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state or sovereignty, of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform noncombatant service in the armed forces of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law; and that I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God.”