WKSU Stories

Akron Naturalization Event Honors 51 New Americans

Ideastream Public Media | By Jennifer Conn

Published July 3, 2019 at 9:34 PM EDT

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Hussain Umer, from Pakistan, recites the Pledge of Allegiance during the naturalization ceremony.

In Akron this week, 51 people from 12 countries became Americans. A naturalization ceremony marking the event was hosted by the International Institute of Akron at the Akron-Summit County Public Library Main Branch.

The institute’s executive director, Madhu Sharma, welcomed the citizens, the Keyed Up Barbershop Quartet performed, and the Akron Police Department Honor Guard presented the colors.

Newly naturalized citizen Woroud Jaleel Hassan Alwazir, her husband Donny Montaine, and their children immigrated to the U.S. from Iraq and attended the naturalization ceremony.

District Court Judge John Adams officiated the event. He encouraged the new Americans to exercise the rights that come with U.S. citizenship, including their right to free speech, the ability to practice their religion, and their duty to vote.