062801 Minnesota: It was Minnesota's biggest day

Terry Collins / Star Tribune

Tears streamed down Faisa Jama's face Wednesday as she shakily folded a scarf
resembling Old Glory to wrap around her head.

A smile emerged, the kind prompted by an accomplishment.

US Magistrate Judge John M. Mason presided over the naturalization ceremony of 738 new
citizens, representing 93 countries, at Benson Great Hall Bethel College.

"How's this?" asked Jama, 25, a native of Somalia who's been in Minnesota for six
years and lives in Columbia Heights. "Now I am an American!"

And so were nearly 1,500 immigrants. They were sworn in as citizens Wednesday during
the biggest day of naturalization proceedings in Minnesota history. The total tops
last year's tally of about 1,400, said Tim Counts, a spokesman for the St. Paul
district of the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS).

To cope with overflow attendance, two ceremonies were conducted at Bethel College in
Arden Hills.

Zaw Min Tat was among a dozen who began lining up almost 90 minutes before the 10 a.m.
ceremony. For many would-be citizens, finally exchanging identification, such as a
green card, for a naturalization certificate was worth waiting outside in the
sweltering heat.

"I'd do it again," said Tat, 27, a native of Burma who has lived in St. Paul for seven
years. "I have a lot more to look forward to."

Before the immigrants took the oath during the morning event, Michelle Egan, a
retiring INS official, told them to enjoy the full benefits and responsibilities that
come with being Americans. While she praised them for preserving some of their
cultural traditions, she also challenged them to take advantage of their new
citizenship.

"This is not a dream anymore. This is your reality," said Egan, who steps down today
after nearly 30 years in various supervisory positions with the INS. "Get that job you
want. Improve your language skills. Shop at the grocery store without the help of a
translator. You're the hope of America."

Many are refugees

Immigrants from 112 countries were represented at Wednesday's ceremonies, with the
largest number coming from refugee populations, said John Klow, assistant director for
examinations in the INS' St. Paul district. The largest number, 372, came from Laos,
homeland of Minnesota's growing Hmong population.

Nationally, Mexico continues to be a leading source of immigrants because of its
struggling economy and proximity to the United States.

"Yet, this area has a broader mix," Klow said. "We have a greater diversity as many
come for employment opportunities or to join family members who were already here."

There's also a law allowing about 45,000 Hmong servicemen who fought in the Vietnam
War to become citizens, along with their spouses. The Hmong Veterans Naturalization
Act also waives the English-language requirement for widows taking the citizenship
exam. It was heavily supported by late Rep. Bruce Vento, D-Minn., and signed last year
by President Clinton.

More than 6,000 immigrants living in Minnesota and the Dakotas are expected to become
naturalized citizens in two dozen ceremonies this year, Klow said. That's an increase
from nearly 5,000 last year.

Many immigrants in attendance Wednesday mirrored Minnesota's rapidly rising ethnic
population, as revealed in 2000 census totals. Those figures show that the state
doubled its minority population to 12 percent during the 1990s, with most of the
growth in the Twin Cities area.

"We are growing," Counts said. "This could be a reflection of it."

Pride and ceremony

As U.S. Magistrate Judge John Mason presided over the collective oath Wednesday, the
new citizens stood tall. Their loved ones hovered above in a balcony, waving, flashing
cameras and aiming camcorders.

After being sworn in, the new citizens proudly waved American flags to huge applause
and cheers. Moments earlier, they had held their hands over their hearts, singing
their new national anthem and reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.

After the ceremony, a tearful Begashaw Balcha was surrounded by family and friends.
With his citizenship certificate firmly in hand, he posed for congratulatory pictures
with Mason and Egan.

"Happy, happy, happy," said Balcha, 52, who arrived from Ethiopia five years ago and
lives in Brooklyn Park. "I'm holding something that gives me peace of mind."

Bo Chao, whose mother proudly held his naturalization certificate, finally can
exercise a right he's wanted to since coming to Minneapolis from Taiwan five years
ago.

"Vote," said Chao, 24, a medical student at the University of Minnesota. "Too many of
us don't."

-- Terry Collins is at tcollins@startribune.com .

http://www.startribune.com/stOnLine/cgi-bin/article?thisSlug=NAT28&date=28-Jun-2001&word=hmong&word=lao