New Citizens Sworn In at Cesar E. Chavez National Monument

KEENE, Calif. – U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service's (USCIS) Fresno Field Office presented a naturalization ceremony on Oct. 8, hosted by the Cesar E. Chavez National Monument. The legendary civil rights icon spent his last quarter century there, in the mountain town of Keene, near Tehachapi. Twenty people were sworn in on that day.

The Fresno Field Office of USCIS serves immigrants living in 10 central California counties. All who apply to naturalize usually have to drive to Fresno for their swearing-in ceremony – a trip of 100 miles each way for someone from Bakersfield. This special ceremony saves hundreds of miles of driving time and expense while honoring the monument and Chavez's legacy. New citizens come from as far away as Ridgecrest. Arturo Rodriguez, President of the United Farmworkers Union, was the keynote speaker.

The National Park Service and USCIS maintain a formal partnership to enhance citizenship ceremonies by holding them in national parks throughout the country. The agreement helps introduce new citizens to some of the nation's most significant natural resources and cultural heritage sites. These historic and picturesque sites provide an ideal backdrop for citizenship ceremonies, where new citizens can learn about and reflect on American identity and the responsibilities of citizenship.