USCIS To Welcome 20 New US Citizens Aboard South Street Seaport Museum's 1885 Tall Ship Wavertree In Celebration Of Flag Day

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and the South Street Seaport Museum will welcome 20 new U.S. citizens during a special Flag Day naturalization ceremony on Wednesday, June 14, 2023 at 10am aboard the Wavertree. USCIS New York District Director Tamika S. Gray will administer the Oath of Allegiance, and Captain Jonathan Boulware, President and CEO of the South Street Seaport Museum, will offer welcoming remarks to the new citizens.

The 20 citizenship candidates are from the following 17 countries: Bangladesh, Belarus, Burkina Faso, China, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, France, Ghana, India, Jamaica, Mexico, Nigeria, Peru, St. Lucia, South Korea and Spain. Five are current or former members of the U.S. Military.

USCIS often participates in naturalization ceremonies at museums, schools, libraries and other notable locations to celebrate the conclusion of an immigrant's journey to citizenship and honor their commitment. Ceremonies in honor of national holidays or significant historic anniversaries - like Flag Day - connect new citizens with our nation's past, while welcoming them as part of America's future.

Flag Day celebrates the anniversary of the day - June 14, 1777 - the Second Continental Congress adopted the Stars and Stripes as the official flag of the United States. The first national observance of Flag Day took place 100 years later, on June 14, 1877. This year, USCIS will be honoring Flag Day nationwide in ceremonies at iconic American locations ranging from the Betsy Ross House in Philadelphia, to the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, to Mt. Rushmore in South Dakota.

The South Street Seaport Museum, located in the historic seaport district in New York City, preserves and interprets the history of New York as a great port city. Founded in 1967, the Museum houses an extensive collection of works of art and artifacts, a maritime reference library, exhibition galleries and education spaces, working 19th century print shops, and an active fleet of historic vessels that all work to tell the story of "Where New York Begins."

USCIS encourages new citizens and guests to share their naturalization ceremony experiences and photos through social media, using the hashtag #NewUSCitizen. For more information on USCIS and its programs, please visit uscis.gov or follow us on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and LinkedIn.