Week of naturalization ceremonies in NYC, across US honor Martin Luther King Jr.
By APThursday, January 14, 2010
NYC naturalization event honors Martin Luther King
NEW YORK — Some New York City immigrants have become U.S. citizens in a special ceremony honoring the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
Thursday’s event in Manhattan is among naturalizations being held nationwide over the next week in honor of the slain civil rights leader. Another, on Friday in Atlanta, will feature a speech from King’s daughter.
King would have turned 81 on Friday. The holiday honoring him is Monday.
The week of events honoring King is a first for the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services department.
Around the country, immigration reform advocates are connecting their efforts to the work of King and the civil rights movement.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP’s earlier story is below.
NEW YORK (AP) — After almost nine years, Nigerian immigrant Emakoji Ayikoye is on the brink of becoming an American, just waiting to say the words of the citizenship oath.
But Thursday’s ceremony is weighted with more symbolism than usual for the 32-year-old college math teacher. It’s one of several being held nationwide in honor of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Another, on Friday in Atlanta, will feature a speech from his daughter Bernice King.
Honoring the slain civil rights leader via a naturalization ceremony makes perfect sense to Ayikoye. And around the country, immigration reform advocates also are connecting their efforts to the work of King and the civil rights movement, looking for inspiration and a way to gain support in hopes of passing legislation in 2010.
King would have turned 81 on Friday. The holiday honoring him is Monday.
It’s not unusual for the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to hold naturalization ceremonies around holidays such as July 4 or at places with ties to immigrant history such as Ellis Island. But the week of events honoring King is a first for the agency.
“When we greet new citizens into the United States we speak of the open opportunities that our country presents to everyone around the world who qualifies for the benefits our agency administers,” said Alejandro Mayorkas, the USCIS director. “Martin Luther King helped define those hopes and opportunities for everyone.”
Ayikoye said King “fought for the equality of people.” He pointed out that the reform of immigration laws that allowed more people from all over the world to come to America took place as the civil rights movement was going on.
“His work paved the way for me to become a citizen,” Ayikoye said. “Without him, there is absolutely no way I would become a citizen today.”
The efforts of King and others in the civil rights movement created a political atmosphere in the 1960s that helped those who were trying to change the country’s immigration laws, said David Canton, associate professor of history at Connecticut College in New London.
“The whole ’60s were about democracy and reform,” he said.
Immigration laws at the time were extremely restrictive and were biased in favor of people from places such as northern Europe.
Those who wanted that changed “made people realize that it’s not fair, it’s not democratic,” Canton said.
The current basic framework, that all countries get the same number of visas, was put into place through the Immigration and Nationality Services Act of 1965.
Those advocates who are hoping for reform to come again this year, with changes including a path to citizenship for the nation’s undocumented population, are still looking toward King.
In Oakland, Calif., the Black Alliance for Just Immigration invokes King’s efforts to bring people together as it works to build support among blacks for immigration reform.
The group tries to make links between what blacks have faced and what immigrants face, said Gerald Lenoir, director of BAJI.
“Even some of the migration experiences of African-Americans, coming from the South, leaving conditions of economic injustice and terrorism from both legal authorities and groups like the Ku Klux Klan, we see that same kind of movement in people across borders,” he said.
In Houston, the Rev. Harvey Clemons Jr. wrote an editorial calling on people to follow King’s guidance on reform, in terms of working toward a system that treats all who enter the United States with respect.
“Dr. King invoked the truth, the truth being that all humans ought to be treated with a certain dignity,” Clemons told The Associated Press. “It would be natural for us to look to him as an example for fighting for a just cause.”
Tags: African-americans, Holidays, Immigration, New York, New York City, North America, Occasions, Political Issues, Political Movements, United States
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January 17, 2010: 5:40 pm
This unsustainable greed cannot last much longer as wages fall and benefits are extinguished by the ruthless use of illegal labor. E-Verify, the local police 287 (g) with the power to arrest, didn’t exist prior to President Bush introduction to the job market. From its inception E-Verify to stem illegal aliens from stealing jobs from millions of legitimized workers as part of the progressive SAVE ACT. A lot of American deaths have been camouflaged, because of the growing raging anger of the population. Trying to pass any Comprehensive Immigration Reform, better known as “AMNESTY” or a free ride to reward illegal immigrant is going to cause the biggest backlash of seething ordinary Americans ever seen since the 1986 immigration amnesty, that was an absolute joke–played on the populace. Free trade under the NAFTA treaty became an abomination, as it deposed indigenous farmers from their income lands South of the border, thanks to US agricultural corporations. They needed to feed their families, so in their desperation they came looking for work in the United States. This catch 22 situation has appropriated lands in Mexico for US agricultural interests, at the same time forcing millions striving to reach this nation. As the Obama administration considers CIR, the numbers of illegal immigrants will rise in apportionment to the new AMNESTY law being to be enacted. Border States, specifically as CALIFORNIA–a known sanctuary state, is falling apart financially and with no end in sight. Arizona and Texas, must be suffering as any state now, compromised financially by the illegal immigrant occupation? E-Verify continues to contribute to immigration enforcement with a more rational emphasis on identifying foreign workers. It should not be construed as perfect, but it is progressively making headway in removing illegal labor. It’s become a paramount issue because years of neglect by previous administrations, but now–REAL–enforcement is watched carefully by bloggers and non-pandering press. Building on it’s original concept with new tools has added a much stronger and opponents can no longer denies it works? But any enforcement program that is working is normally easy prey for certain corrupt politicians and the open border organizations. E-Verify, a composite of the SAVE ACT–can only get better–that’s if its meant to really succeed? New innovations such as the ID picture comparison program will assist employers in the future. Just like any computer fed application that goes through many debugging versions, until the final cut, E-Verify can only do better as it matures. It might seem meaningless now, but if the rush to the border comes, as its been said by bloggers’ like me and even the press, whom normally have their fingers in their ears. That–NOTHING–will–STOP–the onslaught. The US Border Patrol needs to be enforced with the National Guard, because the numbers who try to force a way into America will overwhelm even the imagination? OUR COUNTRY HAS BEEN CRIPPLED BY ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION AND WILL CONTINUE TOO, BECAUSE OF POOR ENFORCEMENT. THE NUMBERS OF 12 TO 13 MILLION ALREADY HERE, DOESN’T ADD UP? Those who have urged President Obama to enact this nonsensical AMNESTY, will be out-of-office, in the 2010 election year. Sen.Harry Reid (D-NV) leading the pack of wolves, will be the first to end up on the political funeral pyre. Those who come here from South of border and the very tip of South America, will enter with contagious diseases, criminal records and may be even terrorists. Those who slip across the Canadian border or through lengthy tourist lines at airport terminals could also be carriers of many viruses, not seen in America for fifty years. This is not about racism in regards to stopping illegal immigration, unless a large majority of Americans are considered to be? This about billions of dollars being drained from American taxpayers, about billions for education, health care, the prison system and hidden government entitlements. It’s about “THE Rule of LAW” and each administration that refuses to address Immigration Enforcement and allows illegal workers, criminals and even terrorist breaking into a sovereign country. Now they are trying to brain wash us with another–AMNESTY–which we cannot allow to happen? It will be the harbinger of unsustainable population growth according to the US Census Bureau. Don’t take my word: GOOGLE ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION, COSTS. & OTHER STATISTICS. MORE INFORMATION ABOUT CORRUPTION AND THE AGENDA OF OPEN BORDER ORGANIZATIONS AT NUMBERSUSA & JUDICIAL WATCH. CALL YOUR SENATOR AND CONGRESSMAN AT 202-224-3121. SAY NO TO AMNESTY! SAY YES TO E-VERIFY & POLICE ARREST 287 (G). SAY ICE RAIDS. SAY YES TO THE SAVE ACT. SAY NO TO OVERPOPULATION. If you are against illegal immigration, we too must bombard WASHINGTON with a 28 cent postcard. There are more patriotic Americans and legal residents than illegal foreign nationals, sponging off taxpayers who will pour into our nation by the millions Just before AMNESTY is signed into law. |
Brittancus