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BANGOR – Even though he was born in the United States, Joseph Olanya held up his small right hand Friday to take the oath of citizenship.
The 4-year-old boy simply was mimicking his mother, Opeyemi Olanya, 40, of Bangor.
A native of Nigeria, Opeyemi Olanya is attending college in Bangor and plans to pursue a nursing degree. She was one of 24 people from 12 countries, who became citizens Friday during a ceremony in U.S. District Court at the Margaret Chase Smith Federal Building.
“I’m so excited,” she said after the ceremony, waving the small U.S. flag she had been given by members of the local chapters of the Daughters of the American Revolution. “I wanted to become a citizen to open more doors and make a contribution to the community. And, I want to teach my son to make the world a better place”
Opeyemi Olanya has lived in the United States for six years with her husband, Ocen Olanya, 49, also a native of Nigeria. He became a citizen in 1999, according to his wife.
Katrina Campbell, 26, of Sangerville was a college exchange student from Lima, Peru, studying in Florida when she met her husband, Johnny Campbell, 28. A Maine native, he brought his bride back to his hometown, where he runs his own landscaping business, four years ago. The couple’s 10-month-old son, Johnny Alexander Campbell, also attended the ceremony.
U.S. District Judge John Woodcock and Magistrate Judge Margaret Kravchuk presided over the short ceremony.
“The United States of America is now your country,” Woodcock said. “By becoming citizens, your are joining a tradition as old as the country itself. The history of this country is a history of immigrants. By taking the oath of citizenship, you become as much an American as any other citizen. No one can claim any greater rights than you have now.”
Kravchuk reminded the new citizens to respond to any call they might now receive to serve as jurors.
Candidates for citizenship must fulfill a variety of requirements that include a belief in the U.S. Constitution, good moral character, English-speaking skills and knowledge of U.S. history.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services reports that the average applicant takes six to nine months to become naturalized, according to its Web site.
The two dozen new citizens came from countries that included Cambodia, Canada, China, Germany, Mexico, Russia and Thailand. They are eligible to register and vote in Tuesday’s election in their municipalities.
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