Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff joins USCIS citizenship ceremony in NYC

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Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff joined a citizenship ceremony held at the New York Historical Society June 20, 2021.

Fifty one new U.S. citizens from 26 different countries including India, were surprised when Second Gentleman of the U.S. (SGOTUS) joined them and addressed the gathering.

Other countries apart from India, included Albania, Australia, Belarus, Brazil, Canada, Dominican Republic, France, Ghana, Guyana, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kosovo, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Taiwan, The Gambia, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, the United Kingdom and Yemen.

The USCIS naturalized approximately 625,000 people in fiscal year 2020. New U.S. citizens are encouraged to share their naturalization photos on social media using the hashtag #NewUSCitizen.

Emhoff noted how his ancestors came to Ellis Island from Austria. And noted that his wife Vice President Kamala Harris’ ancestors hailed from India and Jamaica, according to White House pool reports.

After the candidates were presented and the Oath of Allegiance was administered, Emhoff gave a speech lasting nine minutes.

He congratulated the soon to be citizens and said, “You all came here differently but you are here now all together.“ They would now share an “unbreakable bond“ he said.

“Ours  is a nation of immigrants,“ he noted saying he visited Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty in the morning before the swearing-in ceremony.

“Like you, my family were immigrants,“ he said, adding, “My wife, too, is an immigrant“, he said referring to Vice President Kamala Harris.

America is a land of opportunities, Emhoff went on to say. “People came in search of opportunities, a safe harbor.“

Noting that it was World Refugee Day, Emhoff said, “We as a country are so much richer,“ because of immigrants. “This makes America America,” he added.

The Second Gentleman wished Happy Father‘s Day to all the dads in the room.

To the new citizens he said, “We need you, your voices in our beautiful democracy, your ideas, investments.“