Immigrants from 27 countries become U.S. citizens during Joliet ceremony – Shaw Local

Ponle Fashola, who is originally from Nigeria, said what brought him to the US was simply the “pursuit of happiness.”

Fashola was one of 101 immigrants from 27 countries who became U.S. citizens Tuesday during a naturalization ceremony at the Rialto Square Theater in Joliet.

Echoing Thomas Jefferson’s words in the Declaration of Independence, he reflected on the common bond between all these new Americans as they took the final step toward citizenship.

The spectacle of America’s melting pot was on full display as people from Germany, China, Egypt and other places around the world pledged allegiance to their new nation.

U.S. District Court Judge Young B. Kim, whose parents immigrated to the U.S. in the 1970s, spoke about what it meant to be American as he led the ceremony.

Kim quoted the Latin words “E pluribus unum” that appear on the Great Seal of the US

“It means one out of many,” Kim told the new citizens. “That is our country.”

Noting that the people before him were from 27 countries, Kim said, “When you leave this theater, you are people of one country: the United States of America. Out of many, one.”

The citizenship ceremony at the Rialto was apparently a first for the theater, which will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2026. The ceremony included a performance of “The Star-Bangled Banner” on the Rialto pipe organ, played by Taylor Trimby.

The Pledge of Allegiance that is the final step toward citizenship for immigrants from the Chicago area is typically taken at the Dirksen Federal Building in downtown Chicago.

U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood, D-Naperville, who organized the ceremony to accommodate new citizens closer to home, said the event was “a year in the making.”

Fashola lives in Naperville and works as a warehouse manager for Amazon in Channahon.

Fanny Dyhr, originally from Mexico, now lives in Plainfield.

“I’m so proud to be here and part of this country now,” Dyhr said as she waited for the ceremony to begin.

Dyhr practiced law in Mexico before coming to the U.S. more than three years ago after marrying her husband, a U.S. citizen, and said citizenship could help her pursue her career in law.

Juilee Shinde and her husband, Amol Patil, of Naperville became citizens together on Tuesday. Both are originally from India. They have come a long way to citizenship.

Shinde has been in the US since 2008 and Patil has been in the country since 2005.

“Especially now that we have been in this country for so long, we want to vote and express our opinions,” Shinde said.

Shinde looked very much like the average American, but pointed to the taxes they pay and said she looks forward to having a say in the elections.

India and Mexico were the two countries most represented at the ceremony, as the new US citizens were asked to stand when their nations of origin were called upon.

But the global spectrum of American immigration became visible as people were called to action for Ukraine, South Korea, Syria and other countries represented by the new American citizens.

Gavin McCrindle was the sole representative of the United Kingdom, which includes England, the nation against which the Founding Fathers rebelled to form the United States of America.

McCrindle, who came to the U.S. from Scotland, lives in Plainfield and is executive director of the Lyons Township Soccer Club in La Grange.

A former professional footballer, it was football that brought McCrindle to the US as he pursued a career in coaching. He has been in the US for 17 years and decided it was time to become a citizen of the country where he has a wife and two children.

“I love Scotland and my family but I’m not going anywhere,” said McCrindle.

Salma Elsaidy, originally from Egypt, said she is happy in the US, where she is the wife of a fellow countryman, not yet a citizen, and a mother of two.

“I like it,” she said. “I think it’s safe.”

Elsaidy acknowledged that many Americans find life in this country increasingly unsafe, but said she thinks it is safer than in Egypt. She also said her experience has been good since she arrived in the US six years ago.

“I feel welcome everywhere,” says Elsaidy.