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September 24. 2012 8:31PM
From left, Ismail Sujadi of Indonesia, Stylianos Xydias of Greece, Eva Ghika of Sweden and Agata Fryckowska of Poland take the oath of allegiance during a special naturalization ceremony held at the National Passport Center at Pease International Tradeport in Portsmouth on Monday to honor the NPC’s 20th anniversary. (GRETYL MACALASTER PHOTO)
National Passport Center marks anniversary with swearing-in of new citizens at Pease
From left, Ismail Sujadi of Indonesia, Stylianos Xydias of Greece, Eva Ghika of Sweden and Agata Fryckowska of Poland take the oath of allegiance during a special naturalization ceremony held at the National Passport Center at Pease International Tradeport in Portsmouth on Monday to honor the NPC’s 20th anniversary. (GRETYL MACALASTER PHOTO)
PORTSMOUTH — Twenty New Hampshire residents became naturalized citizens during a special ceremony to honor the 20th anniversary of the National Passport Center at Pease International Tradeport on Monday.
They came from 15 different countries to escape political persecution and tyranny, and often, for a better quality of life.
Ismail Sujadi came to the United States from Indonesia 14 years ago. He now lives in Dover.
“I feel so great. I feel so happy. It has been a long time,” Sujadi said after receiving his naturalization certificate.
Eva Ghika of Hampton left Stockholm in 1991. She said gaining her U.S. citizenship Monday is one item checked off of her bucket list.
Agata Fryckowska of Newmarket left Poland eight years ago for a better life than existed in her native country.
“It’s amazing. It’s a great feeling. I feel proud after all these eight years that I became a U.S. citizen,” Fryckowska said.
On hand to welcome the new citizens was Under Secretary of State for Management Patrick Kennedy.
He said each of their stories is uniquely American, and no matter how they got here, they are welcome.
He said the only title in the nation’s democracy above that of “president” in the United States is that of “citizen.”
The oath of allegiance was administered by Denis Riordan, district director for United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Kennedy also participated in a later ceremony recognizing the National Passport Center’s 20th anniversary.
The NPC in Portsmouth issued its first passport in 1992. The following year, it issued about 600,000 passports. In 2011, the NPC, which now employs more than 750 people, issued more than 5.3 million passports, more than 40 percent of the national passport workload.
Kennedy encouraged all of the new citizens to get their passports Monday, as staff from the NPC was on hand to walk them through the application process.
He also presented Karen Pizza, director of the NPC, with a certificate honoring the work of the center for their dedication to protecting the integrity of a United States passport.
gmacalaster@newstote.com
They came from 15 different countries to escape political persecution and tyranny, and often, for a better quality of life.
Ismail Sujadi came to the United States from Indonesia 14 years ago. He now lives in Dover.
“I feel so great. I feel so happy. It has been a long time,” Sujadi said after receiving his naturalization certificate.
Eva Ghika of Hampton left Stockholm in 1991. She said gaining her U.S. citizenship Monday is one item checked off of her bucket list.
Agata Fryckowska of Newmarket left Poland eight years ago for a better life than existed in her native country.
“It’s amazing. It’s a great feeling. I feel proud after all these eight years that I became a U.S. citizen,” Fryckowska said.
On hand to welcome the new citizens was Under Secretary of State for Management Patrick Kennedy.
He said each of their stories is uniquely American, and no matter how they got here, they are welcome.
He said the only title in the nation’s democracy above that of “president” in the United States is that of “citizen.”
The oath of allegiance was administered by Denis Riordan, district director for United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Kennedy also participated in a later ceremony recognizing the National Passport Center’s 20th anniversary.
The NPC in Portsmouth issued its first passport in 1992. The following year, it issued about 600,000 passports. In 2011, the NPC, which now employs more than 750 people, issued more than 5.3 million passports, more than 40 percent of the national passport workload.
Kennedy encouraged all of the new citizens to get their passports Monday, as staff from the NPC was on hand to walk them through the application process.
He also presented Karen Pizza, director of the NPC, with a certificate honoring the work of the center for their dedication to protecting the integrity of a United States passport.
gmacalaster@newstote.com
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