[View the story "The Naturalization of the World's News Editor" on Storify ]The Naturalization of the World’s News Editor
On December 20th, The World’s News Editor, Chris Woolf, was naturalized as a US citizen, at a ceremony with 365 other applicants at Boston’s historic Faneuil Hall. He live tweeted the whole event.
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Chris was born in the United Kingdom, and moved to the United States in 1998 to work for a year, but fell in love and settled down.
At Faneuil hall Boston for naturalizationChris Woolf
It was a chilly day, and I was not prepared for a long-line out in the cold. The line wrapped around Quincy Market.
http://pic.twitter.com/dplKiM8aChris Woolf
One if 370 applicants.Chris Woolf
Cold fingers – excuse the typo. 366 applicants to be precise.
Beautiful venue packed with original portraits: Washington, Hancock, Knox , Adams and Adams, WarrenChris Woolf
http://pic.twitter.com/HEOijCgnChris Woolf
It’s good to see faces from every corner of the world, side by side, with one common purposeChris Woolf
Sitting next to a nice old chap from the PRC. Must be 84 if he’s a day. Can’t speak a word of englishChris Woolf
PRC = People’s Republic of China. He’s the gentleman in red, on the left.
http://pic.twitter.com/HjNBCX54Chris Woolf
The old guy can’t walk without a cane but he insisted on walking up to the front when his time came.Chris Woolf
For me, this was one of the most moving moments of the day. I chatted a little bit with his daughter who was there as his interpreter, but her English was also limited.
Now he can’t stop waving his little flagChris Woolf
Got a packet o’stuff including a nice letter from the president welcoming me to the United States. And a little flagChris Woolf
Packet includes the words to the Star Spangled Banner, which I will have to sing for the first time a little laterChris Woolf
Soon enough I’ll have to take the oath and renounce allegiance to my Prince.Chris Woolf
The text of the oath is a little further down the page. It was written a couple of hundred years ago, when princes and potentates ruled most of the earth. My “Prince” would be the monarch of the United Kingdom, Queen Elizabeth II.
The oath will be hard since as a soldier back home I once swore an oath to Queen and Country, the home of my ancestorsChris Woolf
Waiting for the judge. Babies crying. Old lady behind me practicing the national anthemChris Woolf
If only I had a pen I could fill time by doing my passport application.Chris Woolf
A couple from Argentina sitting next to me were able to get their passport applications done. The Immigration Service had laid on a special service for expedited processing at the venue, anticipating people wanting to travel for the holidays.
I guess they’re rushing to get us all sworn before Dec 21 so there’s fewer aliens to abduct you all.Chris Woolf
You can tell from the above that my mind was starting to wander, as we sat waiting for the judge to arrive, and reflecting on the anticipated Mayan apocalypse.
Could read book I brought. Andrea Stuart’s Sugar in the Blood. A family story of empire and slavery. It’s very good.Chris Woolf
Sugar In The Blood: Andrea Stuart’s Barbadian Legacy | PRI’s The WorldMarco Werman talks with author Andrea Stuart, who moved to England from Barbados when she was a teenager, about her complicated family hi…
Sugar in the Blood: A Family’s Story of Slavery and EmpireAndrea Stuart was born and raised in the Caribbean. She studied English at the University of East Anglia and French at the Sorbonne. Her …
My dear wife Kim and friend are up in the balcony. Must be bored by now http://pic.twitter.com/UfqzSGgmChris Woolf
Some applicants in uniform up at the front. Where they belong.Chris Woolf
Russian ladies behind me debating the merits of PBS versus BBC. Should I intervene?Chris Woolf
All rise. Judge emtersChris Woolf
56 name changes to be allowedChris Woolf
I was surprised how many name changes there were – about 15%.
Sworn. I’m an American citizenChris Woolf
As expected, choked on the renouncing and abjuring bit. But it’s for the best, for my kids. For anyone who’s never seen it, here’s the United States’ Oath of Allegiance:
OATH OF ALLEGIANCE
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;
and that I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion, so help me God.
Now all countries getting listed. Big cheers for brazil and Dom repChris Woolf
Jamaica! crowd goes wildChris Woolf
Judge making speech. Sea of murmuring as interpreters translateChris Woolf
The Judge’s speech was a good reminder of the freedoms that citizens of the United States and the UK take for granted. Listening to the list of countries where my fellow applicants came from, this is still a troubled world.
Just made the pledge of allegiance for the first time. Led by 8 year old from FraminghamChris Woolf
Final wait for the certificate of naturalizationChris Woolf
The old Russian ladies behind exchanging phone numbers. New friendsChris Woolf
A pleasing end to a special event.
© 2012 PRI's The World
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