Press

As Cleveland prepares to restart some ceremonies thanks to Global Cleveland’s Welcoming Week, one Akron police officer recalls his story and the day he became a US citizen with 3 News, to celebrate the return of naturalization ceremonies, and highlight their importance.

“U.S. is basically the land of opportunity, and essentially it’s actually a couple of miles away from heaven,” says Damber Subba.

That is how Subba remembers America as being described as a young kid. Though he would grow up to become a successful American citizen, who still to this day recalls his naturalization ceremony as the best day of his life, Subba is no stranger to a life of struggle and deep pain.

Eventually, the United Nations Refugee Agency and the Nepal government moved his family to another camp in Beldangi, where they lived for 17 years. Subba says he clearly remembers how it felt to not belong, to struggle and to want more for his family. So when news spread via word of mouth of the possibility of coming to the United States, he didn’t believe it.

“We were definitely excited. … Those times, you know”

Subba says there were no TVs for the news, no cell phones and no way of communicating, so the idea that several countries were allowing refugees to resettle seemed like a rumor. But in 2008, Subba and his parents, younger brother, and two sisters made a home in Akron.

Subba immediately began work to better himself. He worked at the Akron Foundry Company while also going to college and training to become a professional interpreter. He became a nationally certified Medical Interpreter in Nepali Language and started to work for Akron Children’s Hospital. He says he enjoyed bridging the gap between healthcare workers and their non-English speaking patients.

Then in 2014 came the big day. He found an identity and a home within the United States.

When I get an opportunity…that was the greatest feeling.”

Subba says he immediately bought a big U.S. flag and hung it in front of his house and bought a flag for his car. His next step was becoming an Akron police officer, a goal he achieved in 2018.

Since then, Subba has not only worked in some strenuous police missions, but with the community policing department to speak for those who may not understand English. Subba recalls helping rescue an elderly person paralyzed, laying in the house for couple days without any help, rescuing dogs, rescuing children, solving violent crimes and neighborhood disputes due to cultural differences. During the pandemic, Subba also translates important PSAs for non-English speakers.

Cleveland is a welcoming town. We’re friendly. We open our homes to those who need help, And, that’s exactly what Global Cleveland wants newcomers to feel when they arrive here to start their new lives.

“What Welcoming Week does, is it says, ‘This may not be your first home, but it is your home now,'” Cimperman said.

This year, Welcoming Week is virtual. From September 11-18, participants will take part in health panels, ethnic cooking demonstrations and listen to international music guests.

Plus, there’s also a drive-in naturalization ceremony. The initiative is close to Cimperman’s heart.

“I’m going to get emotional with you. My mom came here from another country. Our family basically lived its life in an immigrant neighborhood,” he shared. “If you want to feel America in her beauty and her greatness and her power, if you go to a naturalization ceremony, and you see these individuals who come from all over the world, and they’re choosing us.”

Jenika Gonzales, 29, chose Northeast Ohio at just 14 years old. But her mother began the process years earlier.