Independence Day marked the 235^th birthday of our nation and an important moment for some new citizens. Each year, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services celebrate the 4^th of July by welcoming a number of candidates to United States citizenship with a special ceremony. From June 27 to July 4, more than 24,000 individuals become citizens in approximately 350 ceremonies throughout the country.

In the Washington, DC area, 100 candidates became citizens at an Independence Day ceremony at Mount Vernon in Virginia, which was once home to George Washington These people came from all corners of the world, representing a total of 41 countries.  The new citizens may have unique stories of their journeys, but what they share is a desire to embrace America and all that it has to offer.

Mark Zuckerman, deputy assistant to the President and deputy director of Domestic Policy Council, was in attendance and described what immigrants mean to America’s shared story:

America is a promise to the world. It’s a place that welcomes everyone. It doesn’t matter where you come from, what you look like, or what faith you worship. What matters is that you believe in and embrace the ideals on which we were founded. That you believe that all of us are created equal, endowed by our Creator with certain inalienable rights, and deserve our freedoms and our pursuit of happiness.

That’s the promise of this country – that anyone can write the next chapter in our history. And I am confident that our newest Americans will add important contributions to our nation’s history.

Those who became citizens on Monday remind us that America is both a nation of immigrants and laws and that if we are to remain true to that ideal as a nation, we must build an immigration system that reflects our traditions and addresses our economic interests.

Read more about these new Americans here.