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LAS CRUCES - After the hour-long ceremony, Cruz Townsend radiated.
After all, the 41-year-old Silver City resident had been waiting six years, at least, for the occasion. It was then that Townsend first immigrated to the United States from Mexico.
Now, she's married to Allen Townsend, 42, and the couple run a dirt-hauling and excavation business, Century Dirt Work.
Friday, Cruz Townsend was among 93 southern New Mexico residents who were naturalized during a swearing-in ceremony.
"It made me so excited to become an American citizen - to be a part of the country, to vote, to take part in politics and be sure we've got a good president," Cruz Townsend said with a smile. "My vote can be the difference, right?"
The soon-to-be citizens, representing 15 countries, filled rows of seats at the front of a hall in the newly opened Las Cruces Convention Center. Family and friends occupied seats behind them. Most were dressed in their best. Some waved small American flags. Regina Ayamba, 30, of Las Cruces, was in the front row.
A native of Cameroon, Ayamba said she won a lottery for a coveted chance to immigrate to the United States. Six years ago she wound up in Ohio, and, from there, she migrated to Las Cruces to attend college. She works in the nursing field now and plans to get her two-year degree at Do-a Ana Community College and possibly
Ayamba's thoughts on becoming a citizen?
"It's something I've always wanted to be," she said. "I know I have a lot of opportunities and I hope to use them to be a good citizen."
During a brief address, Lowell Catlett, dean of the New Mexico State University agriculture college and a notable speaker, drew an analogy between immigrants' new status and this epigraph from a James Bond novel: "You only live twice: Once when you're born. And once when you look death in the face."
The meaning, Catlett said, is that people experience a second birth when they "understand what life is all about."
"You're born twice as citizens: Today, and the next time will be when you understand what it means to be a citizen," he said. "The ancient Greeks always called people citizens, not because they were born again, but by the way they treated each other. If you treated each other fairly and kindly and responsibly, you were called a citizen."
U.S. Magistrate Karen B. Molzen officiated at the event, which technically is a formal Federal District Court proceeding. She administered the oath of citizenship and welcomed the country's newest citizens, posing for photos with them after the ceremony.
Immigrants originated from countries as far away as India and The Philippines. Most were from Mexico.
Allen Townsend said in addition to seeing his wife become a citizen, "it was neat to see the different countries that were represented and to see the people who are taking (citizenship) and doing something with it."
Also receiving his citizenship was Las Crucen Gustavo Guillen, originally from Mexico, who has worked toward citizenship for 13 years.
"I finally feel happy because it took me forever," he said.
And how did Guillen plan to mark the occasion?
"I'm going to celebrate by having dinner with my family at a Chinese food restaurant."
Diana M. Alba can be reached at (575) 541-5443.
Countries represented Friday
1. Bolivia
2. Cameroon
3. Canada
4. China
5. Colombia
6. Fiji
7. Germany
8. Guatemala
9. India
10. Iran
11. Jamaica
12. Nepal
13. The Philippines
14. South Korea
15. Mexico
Source: U.S. Immigration
and Naturalization Service
On the Web
•U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service: www.uscis.gov
