| Speaker | Time | Text |
|---|---|---|
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unidentified
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Upgrade right, but i've read about it in the history books. | |
| I've seen the C-span footage. | ||
| If it's a really good idea, present it in public view on C-span. | ||
| Every single time I tuned in on TICK TOCK or C-span or Youtube or anything, there were tens, if not hundreds of thousands of people watching. | ||
|
unidentified
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I went home after the speech and I turned on C-span. | |
| I was on C-span just this week. | ||
| To the American people. | ||
| Now is the time to tune in to C-span. | ||
| They had something, two dollars and fifty cents a gallon. | ||
|
unidentified
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I saw television a little while ago in between my watching my great friends on C-span. | |
| C-span is televising this right now, live. | ||
| So we are not just speaking to Los Angeles. | ||
| We are speaking to the country. | ||
| George Washington's Mount Vernon hosted a naturalization ceremony. | ||
| Nearly 100 people took the oath of citizenship. | ||
| Former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger was the keynote speaker. | ||
| well good morning everybody i know that was cheering from me it's wonderful i'm doug bradburn i'm the president and ceo of george washington's mount vernon it's my honor to be with you here today on this extraordinary day 4th of july and the day when we get to welcome newest citizens to the united states of america on the grounds of george washington's beloved home yes come on you can do better than that yeah | ||
| So let's situate ourselves 250 years ago. | ||
| Yesterday, George Washington took command of a brand new thing called the American ARMY NO ARMY to begin the fight that would ultimately lead to the independence of this nation. | ||
| It was also the first step in an ongoing effort to create a new people out of diverse elements. | ||
| Our great motto e pluribus unum means from many one. | ||
| And when George Washington took over that army 250 years ago, it was not a national army and he would have to forge it into an institution of common national purpose through perseverance, devotion to the cause. | ||
| And that first step in our great story Of trying to find the things that we share together began 250 years ago, yesterday. | ||
| So it's critical to remember this fact, particularly on the 4th of July, that for all our differences and frustrations with each other, we're a people who share fundamental principles. | ||
| We're the only country in the history of the world founded based on an idea that people can govern themselves, that they are all equal, that the people have rights, which government exists to protect, and our principles are embedded in the documents that were written and won by the founding generation and improved in each generation. | ||
| General George Washington helped establish those principles, serving in the three most important roles in the founding of our great republic, commander-in-chief during the Army, who fought with valor, vigilance, and courage during the dark times of an eight-long years' war and affirmed the truth of the Declaration of Independence by winning. | ||
| He was also the president of the Constitutional Convention, who shepherded the extraordinary compromise which saved the Union after the war, creating the fundamental basis of our law, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, which still govern us today. | ||
| And he was the first President of the United States, whose character and judgment created a powerful office to establish law and order, but whose humility allowed the United States to survive beyond his time, free from the abuses of arbitrary power. | ||
| There would be no Generalissimo to take the reins in the United States of America, in large part because of the character of George Washington. | ||
| For Washington, the founding of the United States was always considered a great experiment in human happiness under civil society. | ||
| Today, you're all going to become part of that ongoing effort, an experiment, to see if we can govern ourselves with justice and fairness for all, and if we can work together to form a more perfect union that we can hand off to our children and their children. | ||
| You've earned that place because of your hard work and your extraordinary efforts. | ||
| George Washington often noted that the decisions of his generation would affect unborn millions. | ||
| That if Americans were not entirely free and happy, the fault would be their own. | ||
| That's the whole point of having a free nation. | ||
| You get to choose your future. | ||
| And if we aren't free and happy, it is going to be all of our failure. | ||
| We all have to make those choices to try to make this the best place it can be. | ||
| And that is our gift, and that's the burden of self-governance. | ||
| And I'm very excited that you're going to be sharing in this with us all. | ||
| Today's ceremony is very important to you. | ||
| It's very important to our national story. | ||
| Welcoming new citizens from distant and foreign lands was an ideal born at the American founding itself. | ||
| In fact, today you're going to recreate the revolutionary action of America's founding generation to freely choose to become part of a new nation, the United States of America. | ||
| It was the choice that George Washington made. | ||
| He wasn't born an American citizen. | ||
| And there could be no more appropriate place for a ceremony such as this than at the home of our country's most famous founding father, and no more appropriate day than Independence Day. | ||
| I envy you this exciting moment in your lives. | ||
| You are born again in liberty on the birthday of America, and we are thrilled that you are here. | ||
| Cheer in. | ||
| Applause. | ||
| Tough crowd. | ||
| Tough crowd. | ||
| I want to thank the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service and our distinguished guests who join us today in celebration. | ||
| Deputy Secretary Edgar, Mr. Calkins, Ms. Christoph, Ms. Heaton, thank you so much for your partnership. | ||
| I would also like to thank the Mount Vernon Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution as well as the George Washington chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution for their dedication and support of Mount Vernon and all our programs today. | ||
| And on behalf, yep, let's hear it for the DAR and the SAR. | ||
|
unidentified
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Okay. | |
| And on behalf of the Mount Vernon Ladies Association, let me extend a warm welcome and a thank you to Governor Schwarzenegger. | ||
| honored to have you with us today. | ||
| Now it is my pleasure to introduce Madeline Kristoff. | ||
| Ms. Kristoff serves as the Washington District Deputy Director for United States Citizen and Immigration Services and has served in various roles within USCIS for 13 years. | ||
| Let's thank her for her incredible service for our nation and welcome her to the lectern, Mrs. Kristoff. | ||
| Thank you. | ||
|
unidentified
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Good morning and thank you, Dr. Bradburn, for welcoming us all here today. | |
| I am thrilled to welcome you, your family, friends, and guests to today's special naturalization ceremony here at George and Martha Washington's Mount Vernon. | ||
| I also want to thank the wonderful team here at Mount Vernon for hosting us on this really special day. | ||
| I'm honored to also introduce to you the distinguished guests who have joined me here today to celebrate your citizenship. | ||
| You've already met Dr. Douglas Bradburn, President and CEO of George Washington's Mount Vernon. | ||
| We also have Arnold Schwarzenegger, the 38th governor of California. | ||
| Troy Edgar, deputy secretary for the Department of Homeland Security. | ||
| Aaron Calkins, the chief of staff for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. | ||
| and also Hillary West, Vice Regent for the District of Columbia. | ||
| And also not on stage, I would like to mention Ms. Amherst Heaton, the Washington Field Office Director for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. | ||
| And Jessica Lynn, the vocalist who covers DC, Maryland, and Virginia. | ||
| And lastly, for the staff of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Washington Field Office, who are here, who checked you in, who brought your certificates, and will hand all that out to you at the end of the ceremony. | ||
| Thank you for all your hard work. | ||
| To officially begin our ceremony, everyone please rise and place your right hand over your heart for the national anthem as Jessica Lynn comes to the stage to perform. | ||
| Oh, see, can you see by the dawn's early light what so proudly we hailed at the twilights last gleaming? | ||
| Whose brought stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight o'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming and the rockets red glare, | ||
| the bombs bursting in air gave proof through the night that our flag was still there. | ||
| Oh, say does that star-spangled bandwave o'er the land of the free and the home of the brave. | ||
| Please be seated. | ||
| Thank you, Ms. Lynch, for that lovely rendition of the national anthem. | ||
| Next, I'd like to welcome USCIS Chief of Staff Aaron Cawkins to the stage. | ||
| Mr. Cawkins was appointed as the USCIS Chief of Staff on January 20, 2025. | ||
| He previously served as Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Legislative Affairs for the Department of Homeland Security and Chief of Staff for the Office of Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs at USCIS. | ||
| He also previously served as Chief of Staff for Congressman Eric Burleson, as well as Legislative Director and Counsel for Congressman Andy Biggs and Raul Labrador. | ||
| Thank you, Chief of Staff Calkins. | ||
| Thank you, Madeline. | ||
| Good morning. | ||
| It is a great honor to be part of this exciting and important day in your lives. | ||
| In just a few moments, Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Troy Edgar will administer the Oath of Allegiance. | ||
| Deputy Secretary Edgar is the ninth Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security, and he previously served as the Department's Chief Financial Officer. | ||
| He supports Secretary Noam as the Chief Operating Officer of the Department, supporting the department's 260,000 employees worldwide. | ||
| He's a veteran of the United States Navy and he has more than 35 years of experience in consulting and is a senior executive and entrepreneur. | ||
| He also served as the mayor and city council member of Los Alamitos, California. | ||
| We are honored to have him here with us today. | ||
| And now I will call out every country that is represented here today. | ||
| When I call your country, please stand up and remain standing. | ||
| You come from many backgrounds, but soon you will all stand as one: Afghanistan, Algeria, Argentina, | ||
| Australia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Barbados, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, | ||
| Burkina Faso, Burma, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Congo-Kenasha, | ||
| Costa Rica, Cote-D'Vor, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Eritrea, Estonia, | ||
| Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, The Gambia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea, | ||
| Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Italy, | ||
| Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lebanon, Liberia, Murteos, Mexico, Moldova, | ||
| Mongolia, Morocco, Nepal, the Netherlands, Nicaragua, Nigeria, North Macedonia, Norway, Pakistan, | ||
| Peru, the Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Russia, St. Kitts and Neves, Saudi Arabia, Sierra Leone, South Africa, | ||
| South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, | ||
| Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, and Zimbabwe. | ||
| Deputy Secretary Edgar, each of these 100 candidates has been personally examined under oath by a designated officer. | ||
| Each has demonstrated an understanding of English and a knowledge and understanding of the fundamentals of history and principles and form of government of the United States. | ||
| Each has been found to be a person of good moral character, attached to the principles of the Constitution of the United States, and well disposed to the good order and happiness of the United States. | ||
| The government investigations have been completed in their cases, and each has been found to meet all requirements of the law to be naturalized. | ||
| Deputy Secretary Edgar, please administer the oath of allegiance to these candidates. | ||
| What an exciting day. | ||
| We're so blessed to be here with you guys. | ||
| As the Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security, it's my privilege to be able to administer the oath to the 100 candidates presented today. | ||
| And I would just ask if you would please raise your right hand and please repeat after me. | ||
| I hereby declare an oath that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, | ||
| potentate, or state or sovereignty of whom I wish I would hear through been a subject or a citizen. | ||
| I will support and defend the Constitution of the laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic, | ||
| that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same, that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by law, that I will perform non-combatant services in the armed services of the United States when required by law. | ||
| And that I will perform the work of national importance under civilian direction when required by law. | ||
| And that I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion. | ||
| So help me God. | ||
| Congratulations. | ||
| May I go ahead and be seated, please. | ||
| On behalf of President Trump, Secretary of Homeland Security, Christy Noam, and the men and women of the Department of Homeland Security, it's my honor to be the first to address you as my fellow citizens. | ||
| It's a distinct privilege for me to join in this event with you today and an important milestone in your lives for you to officially become a citizen of this great nation. | ||
| I want to thank a few people here today, starting with the President Washington for opening his home up to us today. | ||
| How awesome is this? | ||
| I couldn't think of any more appropriate time or place to have an event like this. | ||
| I also want to thank Ann Neil Petri and the Mount Vernon Ladies Association for helping us arrange this special ceremony and the staff of USCIS or United States Citizenship and Immigration Services and the Washington Field Office for all their work supporting and interviewing everybody for this event. | ||
| Thank you guys. | ||
| Really appreciate it. | ||
| What a perfect day to become an American citizen as we start your journey on the 249th anniversary of our country and the Declaration of Independence. | ||
| The one thing that has not changed in this country is the commitment and our courage and the provision for the 4th of July. | ||
| This year we're marking the occasion by welcoming the new citizens at over 300 ceremonies across the United States. | ||
| And like this, these new U.S. citizens have chosen to make the United States of America their home. | ||
| You have all chosen this to have a common home, a common future with your fellow citizens. | ||
| I also want to recognize a couple key people here today that have already started to serve in our nation's armed services. | ||
| I'd like to recognize these few courageous new Americans, and if you wouldn't mind when I mention your name, if you'd please rise. | ||
| Specialist Francisco Ismail Sandoval Azkorbing. | ||
| God bless you. | ||
| And stay standing, Lance Corporal Luis Andres Vesquez Lasso. | ||
| Thank you for everything you've done for this country. | ||
| And having served in the U.S. Navy myself, I just wanted to tell you, thank you, and I understand your dedication to the country. | ||
| And everybody here appreciates your service. | ||
| Thank you so much. | ||
| Go ahead and have a seat. | ||
| Thank you. | ||
| Today, we're going to have Arnold Schwarzenegger coming up here. | ||
| But, you know, for me personally, this is a very special ceremony. | ||
| My wife is, she sat in the same seat you guys did 40 years ago. | ||
| She's from Iran. | ||
| My wife, Betty Sarkis, is she here, Betty? | ||
| Yeah, so that's my wife. | ||
| So just kind of an idea. | ||
| This is one of the most special things that I get to do as the Deputy Secretary. | ||
| My wife came here, didn't speak English, left Iran during the persecution of Christians 40 years ago, came here, got two degrees as school teacher, and just serves in Little Saigon in Orange County, California as a teacher for almost 30 years. | ||
| This is her American dream. | ||
| And for all of you, this is the beginning of your American dream. | ||
| I'm just so excited for you. | ||
| Thank you, Betty. | ||
| So now the real fun part. | ||
| It's my pleasure to introduce someone that demonstrates just how much a nationalized citizen can accomplish in the United States. | ||
| Since he's become an American citizen more than 40 years ago, he has unparalleled success in the motion picture industry. | ||
| More importantly, he's worked tirelessly to give back to this country. | ||
| He's helped provide for after-school and summer athletic programs for our children. | ||
| Thank you, Arnold. | ||
| He's also founded the USC Schwarzenegger Institute for State and Global Policy for USC. | ||
| Thank you. | ||
| And as many of you guys know, he served as the 38th governor of the state of California, and he was my governor for all that time. | ||
| Thank you. | ||
| Please join me in welcoming Arnold Schwarzenegger. | ||
| Well, thank you very much for this wonderful introduction. | ||
| That's exactly the way I wrote it. | ||
| But anyway, I just had, first of all, good morning and happy 4th of July. | ||
| I just had the great pleasure of laying a wreath at George Washington's tomb. | ||
| And I have to tell you something that I was really touched by this whole idea. | ||
| Because when I came to this country 57 years ago, not in my wildest dreams, and I had wild dreams about becoming the most muscular man in the world, becoming a movie star, making a lot of money, becoming rich and famous, and all that kind of stuff. | ||
| But not exactly. | ||
| That's why I said most muscular man. | ||
| You got to learn how to listen. | ||
| Remember, God gave you two ears and only one mouth. | ||
| But in any case, what I'm saying is, I was saying to myself, 57 years ago when I came to this country, not in my wildest dreams, did I think about that one day this immigrant will be asked to lay a wreath at George Washington's tomb and to be asked to give the keynote speech at this spectacular event here today. | ||
| So I feel absolutely delighted to be here. | ||
| Absolutely. | ||
| Thank you. | ||
| Thank you. | ||
| And of course, after being here at Mount Vernon, I've decided that in my next movie I'm going to play George Washington. | ||
| And Danny DeVita will play Jefferson. | ||
| Oh no, maybe actually have a better idea. | ||
| Maybe Mrs. Washington. | ||
| How about that, huh? | ||
| Wouldn't that be cool? | ||
| Now actually talking about making movies, I just finished a movie called The Man with the Bag. | ||
| It's a Christmas movie where I play Santa Claus. | ||
| And Santa Claus is of course all about giving. | ||
| But today, however, you've given me a great gift. | ||
| And that gift is to be part of this very meaningful ceremony. | ||
| You know, I was told that there are thousands of spectators out there. | ||
| And I have to say, you're a really good-looking crowd. | ||
| Man, look at them all, smiling and everything. | ||
| Well, I'm very excited that you're here, and I want to thank you all for coming. | ||
| Big, big hand to all of you. | ||
| But actually, I came to talk to these 100 people that are sitting right here in front. | ||
| To these 100 people that have just become American citizens. | ||
| To these new Americans, I say thank you for sharing this wonderful day with me. | ||
| And also your journey, which we also share since I'm an immigrant too. | ||
| If a U.S. ambassador or historian were here in my place this morning, he or she would probably start out with some relevant quote by Washington, right? | ||
| It would be about democracy and citizenship and probably make reference to the tensions in our country. | ||
| But I want to start differently with a story. | ||
| Dr. Bradburn can vouch that this is true. | ||
| Washington and John Marshall, who later became Chief Justice, were once riding on horseback to visit some friends. | ||
| And on the way, Marshall ripped his pants. | ||
| But he had no choice but to keep going on. | ||
| The rip must have been in a strategic area, if you know what I mean. | ||
| Because when they arrived, the only thing that Marshall could think of doing was to hold a handkerchief in front of him like a bullfighter. | ||
| I have to demonstrate this. | ||
| He was like this. | ||
| Well, on seeing this, Washington laughed so hard that it is said that it took a time for him to recover. | ||
| Now today, we call up on that joyous happy Washington. | ||
| Because this is a very joyous, happy day. | ||
| We are here to celebrate, to celebrate you, you that were just sworn in. | ||
| We're here to recognize what you have overcome, what you have achieved, and to recognize the responsibilities that are still in front of you. | ||
| I remember how happy I was when I became an American citizen. | ||
| I tell you, it felt so great. | ||
| It was September 17th, 1983. | ||
| I was all dressed up, just like today, with a blue blazer, white shirt, and red tie, and I raised my right hand. | ||
| Stood straight, and I proudly said the oath. | ||
| And after that, I celebrated. | ||
| I celebrated at lunchtime, I celebrated at dinner time. | ||
| I celebrated all night, and I had the American flag draped around my shoulders. | ||
| I couldn't believe it. | ||
| I kept saying to myself, Honored, you have a new home. | ||
| And I did. | ||
| And so do you. | ||
| And so do you. | ||
| I have no doubt that similar lunches and dinners and parties would take place here today because there's so much to celebrate. | ||
| You have endured the stress of filling out the forms and the paperwork. | ||
| You've waited and you've worried. | ||
| You've wondered, what is taking so long? | ||
| Right? | ||
| Did the paperwork get lost? | ||
| Did it get lost in the mail? | ||
| Did it go through? | ||
| What is happening here? | ||
| I know those feelings. | ||
| I know the relief that you must feel today. | ||
| Some of you have escaped from very harsh circumstances in your previous life. | ||
| I've always loved what Harriet Tubman said about escaping from slavery into freedom. | ||
| She said, When I found that I had crossed that line, I looked at my hands to see if I was the same person. | ||
| There was such a glory over everything. | ||
| The sun came like gold through trees and over the fields, and I felt like I was in heaven. | ||
| Today, at least for a few hours, I hope that you feel a glory over everything. | ||
| I hope that you feel that glory over everything. | ||
| Now I know that each of you has your own reason for wanting to be an American citizen. | ||
| Some of you came to America to escape fear of persecution and political oppression. | ||
| That gnawing fear that tells you not to look at the soldier in the eye. | ||
| Others of you came to America because of economic desperation in your home country. | ||
| That gnawing in your stomach that comes from unrelenting poverty or famine. | ||
| Or maybe what drew you here was the longing to be reunited with your family. | ||
| That gnawing in your heart for the people that you love, that you miss, and that you want to care for and protect. | ||
| But whatever motivated you to make your way here to say, I want to be a citizen of the United States, let me explain what it tells me about you. | ||
| Because of all the roles that I have played in my movies, I know something about action heroes. | ||
| Right? | ||
| You don't need a cartridge belt across your chest or a pesuka against your shoulder to be an action hero. | ||
| And you don't need the stunts and the special effects and the Hollywood magic to be an action hero. | ||
| No. | ||
| immigrants are action heroes they tell you why i say that because it took action to get here Laziness did not get you here. | ||
| Apathy did not get you here. | ||
| I believe in a status quo did not get you here. | ||
| No, action is what got you here. | ||
|
unidentified
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You wanted something more. | |
| So you went after it. | ||
| You worked hard, you struggled, and you persevered. | ||
| I know what you say to yourself because this is what I said to myself. | ||
| If only I can get to America. | ||
| If only I can prove what I can do. | ||
| If only I can be the person that I know I can be. | ||
| Right? | ||
| The day all of your actions over the years were rewarded. | ||
| No longer are you hanging on that cliff by one hand. | ||
| You have pulled yourself up. | ||
|
unidentified
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Yes, you have pulled yourself up. | |
| And the day you have feet, the day your feet are firmly planted in America. | ||
| Isn't it wonderful? | ||
| So, what now? | ||
| What now? | ||
| In return for all that America is doing for you and giving you your freedom, peace, and opportunity, I ask you to think about what will you do for America. | ||
| What will you do for America? | ||
| When you took that oath, you were not putting your hand out for what you could get. | ||
| No. | ||
| You put your hand up in a promise of what you would do for America. | ||
| When you took that oath and received America's many blessings, I hope that you also accepted the responsibility to give something back. | ||
| Giving back does not just mean to give money, it means giving of yourself to something beyond yourself. | ||
| I remember that I first arrived in America a week before Thanksgiving. | ||
| And the guy in the gym reached out to me and he said, you're here by yourself. | ||
| You're a foreigner. | ||
| I barely can understand you. | ||
| I can't blame him for that. | ||
| He said, why don't you spend Thanksgiving with us, with my family? | ||
| His name was Bill Drake. | ||
| And I met his father and his mother, and it was the most wonderful turkey dinner with all its trimmings. | ||
| And as if that was not enough generosity, that same weekend after that fantastic meal, there was a knock on my door of my empty apartment across the street from the gym. | ||
| I opened it and a parade of bodybuilders walked in. | ||
| All pumped up. | ||
| One after the other, carrying things in their hands. | ||
| One was carrying bed sheets, the other one pillowcases, the other one utensils. | ||
| One was even carrying in a black and white TV. | ||
| I was, I tell you, so impressed. | ||
| It was a parade of generosity turning my beer immigrant apartment into a home. | ||
| That is a generosity that I will never forget. | ||
| I will never forget that. | ||
| That kindness left a lasting impression on me. | ||
| And for the last 30 years now, I have been buying and handing out turkeys at the youth center in East Los Angeles. | ||
| And I tell you something: that handing out those thousands of turkeys a year after year Is a hundred times more rewarding than standing at the red carpet of a movie premiere. | ||
| I've tried to be a good citizen and to give back. | ||
| That's why I got involved in Special Olympics and became the national international strength coach for the Special Olympians worldwide and promote Special Olympics worldwide. | ||
| That's why I was so honored also to be asked by President Bush to be the chairman of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports and travel through all 50 states and go into public schools and to promote exercising and fitness amongst the youngsters and to tell them no to drugs, know the gang and know the violence. | ||
| I helped our veterans getting homes, help the homeless. | ||
| I'm involved in combating climate change and promoting healthy living, advocating civil responsibility. | ||
| I started after-school programs, and the list goes on and on and on. | ||
| Now, one thing I have to tell you: you don't have to run for governor as I did. | ||
| Start by running to the grocery store for a homebound neighbor or run the bake sale table at a PDA meeting. | ||
| So the question is: what will you become involved in? | ||
| I guarantee you that it will begin to change your life. | ||
| Now, here's another thing that I've learned: you do not have to give up who you are in order to succeed as an American. | ||
| When I wanted to get into the movies, I remember an agent in the studio executives would say to me, this is Arnold, that accent, that ridiculous accent. | ||
| No one has ever become a movie star or a leading man with an accent like that. | ||
| And then your name Schwarzen Schnitzel or whatever. | ||
| It wouldn't even fit on a movie poster or on a billboard. | ||
| Why don't you forget the movies altogether? | ||
| Why don't you open up a health food store or a gymnasium? | ||
| I was convinced that I could do it. | ||
| I was in the land of opportunities. | ||
| I knew that if I worked my butt off, that I could do it. | ||
| I could make my vision become a reality. | ||
| So I took acting classes, English classes, speech classes, dialogue classes. | ||
| I even took accent removal classes. | ||
| I walked around the whole day saying a fine wine grows on a vine. | ||
| And 3,333 and one-third. | ||
| Because those are all the things that German-speaking people are difficult in pronouncing. | ||
| So I worked on it and worked on it, and this is why today I have absolutely no accent at all. | ||
| But I mean, it's not funny. | ||
| I'm still looking for that coach to get my money back. | ||
| But anyway, the bottom line is that an accent is nothing to be ashamed of. | ||
| It is a memory of your past. | ||
| It is telling a story. | ||
| It tells a story, and it's part of what makes your voice distinct. | ||
|
unidentified
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America needs your story. | |
| What I'm saying is that to be an American, you do not have to fit into a box. | ||
| Trust who you are. | ||
| Trust your vision of your future and trust your vision of yourself. | ||
| That is what is important. | ||
| Now, some will say, Arnold, you are a little bit out of touch here with what is going on in this country. | ||
|
unidentified
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Your outlook is too rosy. | |
| Yes, I'm an optimist. | ||
| I admit it. | ||
| But I know what's going on. | ||
| I know about the division that separates us. | ||
| It is true what we see, everything that we see in the news. | ||
| Things might look confusing. | ||
| And yes, there is heartache. | ||
| But let me tell you something. | ||
| No matter how difficult of a time we go through sometimes in America, we always pull out of it. | ||
| We always pull out of it. | ||
| And I tell you why I'm saying that, because when I came to America, I remember the confusion and the heartache when I arrived in this country in 1986. | ||
| Imagine now the year that I came, Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy were assassinated. | ||
| Think about that. | ||
| There were riots on the streets outside the Democratic Convention in Chicago. | ||
| There were protests about the Vietnam War all over this country. | ||
| It was craziness. | ||
| The Vietnam War was tearing this country apart. | ||
| See 141 cargo planes holding 35 to 40 flag-draped caskets per flight were coming from Southeast Asia. | ||
| Imagine how many flights, how many flags that it took for 58,000 American soldiers to be returned back home. | ||
| Think about that. | ||
| And we put out of that difficult time. | ||
| And we came back bigger and stronger than ever. | ||
| So that's why I'm an optimist. | ||
| We're going to always come back and we're always going to move forward. | ||
| That is the important thing. | ||
| And the reason why I'm mentioning this is because I read that some Americans are actually so discouraged today that they want to move to another country. | ||
|
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They don't know what you and I know, right? | |
| I mean, you and I spent years working to become citizens. | ||
| We are not people who give up easily. | ||
| No. | ||
| Right? | ||
| America needs your strong immigrant spirit right now. | ||
| There was a number, recently a number of environmentalists who have told me that they were losing hope about climate change and fossil fuels and the reduction in pollution and all this stuff because of various U.S. policies and reversals. | ||
| You know what I say to this kind of defeatist attitude? | ||
| Stop whining and get to work. | ||
| The thing that I know about immigrants is that you are not whiners. | ||
| Because whining doesn't get you the green card or the citizenship. | ||
| Whining does not put food on your table or pay the rent. | ||
|
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Whining is weakness. | |
| Whining is weakness. | ||
| There is a reason that you're here. | ||
| You are the people that America needs right now. | ||
| America needs you with your accent, with your memories of your homeland, the hope and dreams that you have, and your love and freedom for family. | ||
|
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You do not just deserve to be in America. | |
| You are needed here. | ||
| You are needed here. | ||
| Let me close with this thought. | ||
| Ronald Reagan once received a letter from a man who wrote that you can go to live in France, but you can't become a Frenchman. | ||
| You can go to Germany or to Italy, but you can't become a German or Italian. | ||
| The man said the same thing about Turkey and Japan and many other countries. | ||
| But he said that anyone from any corner in the world can come to live in the United States and become an American. | ||
| You are from many different places from all over the world, and today, together, you become one. | ||
| You became an American. | ||
| Yes, today you became an American. | ||
| And I congratulate you. | ||
| I am so happy that you're here. | ||
| I'm so happy you're here. | ||
| Thank you that you took this road to America together with me. | ||
| And on behalf of all the citizens of this country, I congratulate you on becoming an American. | ||
| And I welcome you to this land of opportunity, to the greatest country in the world. | ||
| God bless all of you. | ||
| Thank you very much. | ||
| Thank you. | ||
|
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Introduced to the podium, Hillary Carter West, who is Vice Regent for the District of Columbia of the Mount Vernon Ladies Association, who will lead us with the Pledge of Allegiance. | |
| Professionally, Hillary is the Executive Director of Federal Government Relations at JPMorgan Chase. | ||
| Prior to joining JPMorgan Chase, she worked for the U.S. House of Representatives, where she served as legislative counsel to the House Financial Services Committee. | ||
| Hillary began her career in private practice as a corporate attorney, working for firms in Connecticut and her native Washington, D.C. | ||
| She received her bachelor's from Connecticut College and her JD from American University Washington College of Law. | ||
| And now, Hilary West. | ||
| Thank you, Ms. Kristoff. | ||
| And good morning, good morning to all of you. | ||
| Hang in there, we're getting there. | ||
| So, as she just said, my name is Hillary West, and I have the privilege of serving as the Vice Regent for the District of Columbia for the Mount Vernon Ladies Association, and it is truly an honor to welcome you here today to this very special ceremony. | ||
| For more than 40 years, this estate was the place that George Washington called home. | ||
| And it would not exist today without the extraordinary vision of the Mount Vernon Ladies Association, an intrepid group of women who led a national campaign in the 1850s to save Washington's home from ruin. | ||
| Since the Mount Vernon Ladies Association opened Mount Vernon to the public in 1860, nearly 96 million people have toured this most historic estate, making George Washington's home the most visited site of its kind in this country. | ||
| We tell the story of George Washington and the founding of the country because we are a country based upon ideals enshrined in our founding documents and choices made that have shaped our common destiny together. | ||
| And now, all of you join us in that same destiny. | ||
| On behalf of the Mount Vernon Ladies Association, I am honored to lead you in your first official recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance. | ||
| And so now at this time, I would like to ask you all to stand. | ||
| And when we say the Pledge of Allegiance, we place our right hand over our heart, we face the American flag, and we recite the Pledge of Allegiance together in unison. | ||
| I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. | ||
| Congratulations. Wonderful. | ||
| And I would now like to introduce a very special person who would also like to add congratulations to you on this wonderful holiday we are celebrating today. | ||
| So please join me in welcoming General George Washington. | ||
| Gentlemen and honored guests, I would like to say welcome to Mount Vernon. | ||
| I would particularly like to welcome all of you who have just taken the oath to become citizens of the United States. | ||
| We are all citizens by birth or by choice of a common country. | ||
| Today, the name of American belongs to you every much, every bit as much as it does to me. | ||
| You have all faced challenges just to get here. | ||
| Some of you have witnessed violent conflict and hardship. | ||
| Some of you have faced oppression and persecution. | ||
| You have all taken the difficult journey to these shores. | ||
| And with you, you have brought your skills and your talents, your strength and determination. | ||
| I hope that you have also brought your dreams, because this is a land where they can happen. | ||
| is the place to build a future and it doesn't matter who you are it doesn't matter where you came from The bosom of America is open to receive not only the opulent and respected stranger, but the oppressed and persecuted of all nations and religions. | ||
| my fellow americans to you i say simply welcome home all right good morning and congratulations to the newest americans of the united states of america | ||
| My name is Amherst Heaton and I am the Field Office Director for the Washington Field Office and I am delighted to be here with you today. | ||
| On behalf of my team, I would like to thank all of our speakers here. | ||
| Mr. Troy Edgar, Deputy Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Arnold Schwarzenegger, former governor of California, Dr. Douglas Bradbury, President and CEO of George Washington's Mount Vernon, Hillary West, Vice Regent for the District of Columbia, and Madeline Christoph, | ||
| who's the Deputy District Director for District 21. | ||
| And also thank you to the Mount Vernon staff for collaborating with us to host this special celebration. | ||
| And to my wonderful and to my wonderful team of officers, assistants, and our support staff right over there, both here with me and at home. | ||
| Thank you so much. | ||
| I appreciate you all dearly. | ||
| All right. | ||
| So thank you for you all for joining us today to celebrate your citizenship. | ||
| It is indeed a privilege for us to be here with you today. | ||
| And as we celebrate America's birthday and our founding fathers' indelible impact on our great nation, our hosts from Mount Vernon encourage you to take time to enjoy a tour of the mansion and to explore the rest of this great site. | ||
| Additionally, I encourage you all to take time to register to vote today so you may fully participate in our democracy. | ||
| We have voter registration set up over there for you all. | ||
| They're waving their hands over there. | ||
| Make sure you go see those folks so you can participate in our democracy. | ||
| And so I will now invite Jessica Lynn back to close our ceremony with the singing of God Bless America. | ||
| And after God Bless America, you will retrieve your certificate of naturalization. | ||
| And so you will need to trade your N445. | ||
| That's that invitation that you received where you answered all of those questions. | ||
| You'll need to take that to my team over there who will meet you. | ||
| On that N445, you will see a number at the top that'll correspond with a table that you need to go pick up your certificate from. | ||
| So make sure you get in the right line, okay? | ||
| And so enjoy the rest of your day. | ||
| And before I go and hand it over to Jessica, let's have one more final round of applause for all of our newest citizens. | ||
| and congratulations. | ||
| Land ahalo. | ||
| Stand beside her and guide her through the night with the light from above. | ||
| From the mountains to the prairies, to the oceans, where we'll fall. | ||
| God bless America, my home, sweet home. | ||
| God bless America, my home, my sweet, our home. | ||
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