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Cheers, applause and joy filled the air Tuesday, May 6, as 198 people took the Naturalization Oath of Allegiance and became United States citizens at a ceremony hosted by UMass Amherst and the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences (SBS) in Bowker Auditorium.

Waving small American flags and beaming with pride, the new citizens – representing 52 countries from Albania to Vietnam – marked the culmination of years of hard work, determination and hope. Many have spent decades living in the U.S., contributing to their communities, raising families and navigating the complex immigration system.

“I know what you’re feeling,” said UMass Amherst Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Fouad Abd-El-Khalick, who became a U.S. citizen 15 years ago after immigrating to the U.S. from Lebanon. “[I]t’s a moment that I remember, and I’ll cherish for life.”

For Abd-El-Khalick, it was the pursuit of academic research that inspired him to attain citizenship. He urged his new fellow citizens – a group that included Kirsten Helmer, senior lecturer and director of programming for diversity, inclusion and equity at the Center for Teaching and Learning at UMass Amherst – not to lose sight of what drew them to America and to engage in the democratic process.

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“You made the choice to join a country that, with all its imperfections and historical baggage, is still striving to perfect our union in the service of protecting each person’s life, liberty and pursuit of happiness, no matter one’s origin or identity,” SBS Dean R. Karl Rethemeyer remarked.

“I don’t think there’s any denial that this is a very difficult time to talk about immigration in this country,” noted U.S. Magistrate Judge Katherine A. Robertson, who administered the oath. “No one really knows what lies ahead, but here, today, you’ve sworn a solemn oath, and you’ve committed yourselves to making a life in this country. And today we’re celebrating the choice that you’ve made.”

This is the third consecutive year that the university has hosted a naturalization ceremony in coordination with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

The event was one of hundreds held across the country each year by the agency, celebrating the diverse tapestry of individuals who now call the United States their own.