From immigrants to Americans

STAUNTON - Min Chittum doesn't remember the day she stood before a judge and took the solemn oath that changed her from a Korean national into an American citizen.

After all, the Stump Elementary School fifth-grader reasoned, she was only 2 at the time.

"I was basically so excited when my mom told me, I wanted to share the details with everyone," said the now-10-year-old, who lives in Augusta County with her adoptive parents. "I was pretty happy when I got to tell my class about it. Now they know something about me."

A smiley girl with short, black hair and blue eyeglasses that slide down her nose, Min had regaled her class with the tale of her path to citizenship just days earlier.

On Wednesday, that story sprang to life for the students as they watched the tableau of bright American flags, dark judge's robes and serious-looking oath takers play out in front of them at the annual federal naturalization ceremony at the Frontier Culture Museum.

"This is a day a federal judge gets a chance to see a lot of happy faces," said presiding Judge James G. Welsh. "This is a very blessed morning."

Flanking the collection of soon-to-be citizens and beaming family members out in the audience Wednesday were Min and more than 200 other area students. Waving small flags energetically and joining in on the national anthem with gusto, the assorted elementary school classes listened as speakers retraced the long road that had to be traveled to get to this moment and the responsibility that goes along with the mantle of citizenship.

As the program drew to a close, the center of the room rose and, one by one, the 42 immigrants seated there walked up to claim the slip of paper that proclaimed them to be official citizens.

"Your coming here and joining this great race of people helps make whole the great promise that is the American dream," Welsh told them. "… Today, you are Americans, and not some kind of hyphenate American. You're not Italian-Americans, you're not Chinese-Americans and you're not Peruvian-Americans. Each of you now carries that unique name that is simply American."

Later, seated outside and joining in on the lunch of pizza and Coke provided to all attendees, Min mulled over what she had heard.

"I'm glad I got to be here for this," she concluded. "It kind of made me think about myself, about how lucky I am to be here."

This is the seventh year the Frontier Culture Museum in Staunton has hosted a naturalization ceremony. At each, organizers have invited different schools to join them, hoping to impress upon the children the value their citizenship carries.

Needing no reminder of that were those clutching their own, newly printed certificates of citizenship Wednesday. Laughing and hugging family or lining up to take a picture in front of the American flag, the meaning of this moment was not lost on them.

"For me, it's the chance of a lifetime," said an enthused Iris Caballero, a petite woman who immigrated from Peru nine years ago with her husband and two daughters.

Her family had driven two hours from their home in Berryville, a town in the northward Clarke County, in order to be there Wednesday. And when Iris Caballero, 53, stood up to take her oath, she was joined by her children, 26-year-old Rocio Caballero and 23-year-old Carla Caballero.

"I'm glad I can be part of the [political] process now and have a part in history," Rocio reflected afterward. "It's nice when you have a feeling of being home."

The tight-knit Caballero family had pursued their citizenship together, studying for the required civics test and preparing for interviews with the INS. The family patriarch, who was on hand to document Wednesday's ceremony with his trusty camera, was still awaiting the final approval needed to take the oath himself one day.

Standing next to her daughters, Iris Caballero talked about the work they had done and the meaning of this milestone.

"I'm so happy and so proud," she said, turning her gaze to her daughters. "All of my generations now will be Americans, including my grandchildren."