Global Cleveland invites Clevelanders to celebrate immigrants this flag day at a special naturalization ceremony

As part of Flag Day activities Wednesday, 32 new Americans will become citizens at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum

Flag Day is a time to display American pride. Increasingly, it has become a day to celebrate the people who most keenly feel that pride, new Americans, and to honor the nation’s immigrant roots.

Greater Cleveland will partake in that emerging tradition this Flag Day—Wednesday, June 14–when the U.S. District Court holds a special naturalization ceremony at noon outside of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum.

Global Cleveland encourages people to join us in making Flag Day a special event by witnessing a citizenship ceremony and welcoming our immigrant and refugee neighbors.

Thirty-two people from nations around the world are expected to sworn in as American citizens at what is sure to be an unforgettable experience at the Rock Hall. U.S. Judge Dan Polster will preside. The ceremony is sponsored by the Joint Veterans Commission of Cuyahoga County, which is celebrating the 242nd birthday of the U.S. Army.

A naturalization ceremony is a public event where immigrants take the Oath of Allegiance, the last step in the process of becoming a U.S. citizen. In Greater Cleveland, the oath is administered by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District, usually on the 1st and 3rd Friday of each month at the federal courthouse downtown. Sometimes the court moves the ceremony to a special location, like the Rock Hall.

As part of a broader citizenship initiative, Global Cleveland staff and volunteers attend every naturalization ceremony. They personally greet and congratulate each new American and provide them with a welcome packet of information. Our aim is to enrich community by helping our new neighbors succeed.

“Immigration is not just woven into the fabric of America; it is the foundation of the American story, the source of so much of our progress,” said Jazmin Long, who directs the naturalization initiative for Global Cleveland. “We are so proud to welcome and embrace our newest Americans.”

Global Cleveland is also proud to have joined the #NaturalizeNow campaign, which has a goal of mobilizing one million people to become citizens in 2017. Learn more about the campaign at  www.naturalizenow.org/