# Aboard Alameda’s USS Hornet, 76 immigrants become U.S. citizens ahead of America’s 250th birthday > Source: > Published: 2026-07-04 12:00:11+00:00 **Getting your** [Trinity Audio](//trinityaudio.ai)player ready...ALAMEDA — Gathered on a World War II ship turned museum in Alameda on Wednesday, people from dozens of countries took the oath of allegiance and became U.S. citizens ahead of the nation’s 250th birthday. A total of 76 citizenship candidates were welcomed aboard the USS Hornet, home to the Sea, Air and Space Museum, to participate in an annual Fourth of July naturalization ceremony that honors the date the Declaration of Independence was adopted — July 4, 1776. Holding small American flags, the cohort of new citizens waved and clapped along to patriotic music sung by the Golden Gate Symphony Orchestra & Chorus’ TOSCA a capella ensemble. Family members and loved ones cheered as each of the 28 origin countries represented at the ceremony was named and candidates stood. They remained standing as they took the oath of allegiance, swearing to renounce fidelity to their countries of origin and commit themselves to upholding and defending the U.S. Constitution and laws of the land. “Much like this ship, each of you has your own unique history, experience and strength, and we welcome you to bring these to our country,” said Maureen Whalen Vavra, chair of the USS Hornet Museum Board of Trustees. “We are a nation of immigrants built by generations of people who, like you, chose to make America their home. Your decision to become an American citizen is a testament to your courage, your dreams and your belief in the promise of this country.” Phannarai Inkun, of Thailand, led the Pledge of Allegiance for her cohort of fellow citizenship candidates. The 19-year-old UC Berkeley student is studying to be a math teacher. Inkun said her process of gaining citizenship started years ago when her grandmother became a U.S. citizen and attempted to sponsor Inkun and the rest of her family. After delays, Inkun said she took the initiative to finish the process once she turned 18. She credits her passing of the citizenship test to her Mendocino High School civics teacher Pamela Duncan, who, Inkun said, gave similar tests as class finals. “She was a great foundation,” Inkun said. Tekum Kingswill, 20, of Cameroon, said his road to citizenship began in June 2023 when he enlisted in the U.S. Army, enticed by the promise of citizenship and academic support. Two years later, Kingswill is now studying civil engineering at UC Davis. “I’m excited to finally become a naturalized citizen of the United States of America because it’s a good country and I’m ready to experience the full benefits of being a citizen of the country, to play my role as a good citizen, to better the country, like they were saying during the ceremony,” Kingswill said. Love brought Sebastian Belz, 33, of Belgium, stateside. He met Alyssa, an American, while in Spain. They married in Lake Tahoe in 2017 and welcomed two daughters in the nine years since. He’s had his permanent residency since 2019. “I kept choking up the whole time,” Belz said of the ceremony. “I was just thinking about the life that we’ve built here, you know? And it was never planned, but it was the right next step. Living the dream.” Like Belz, Ericka Zoria, 37, of Mexico, has had her permanent residency for years, having married a man who held both U.S. and Mexican citizenship. She and her husband, Edwin Negrete, decided to officially settle their family in California about three to four years ago. Initially nervous about gaining full citizenship, Zoria said the year-long process was worth it to be able to live in the country “comfortably.” “This is something I never imagined I could get,” Zoria said in Spanish through her husband, who translated. “It’s amazing.” Participants of Wednesday’s ceremony are among the roughly 700,000 to 800,000 people who take the oath of allegiance every year, a third of whom come from Mexico, India, the Philippines, the Dominican Republic and Vietnam, [according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, an agency within the Department of Homeland Security](https://www.uscis.gov/citizenship-resource-center/naturalization-statistics). “History is a living, active force, and we write it every day. Likewise, citizenship is not merely a document. It’s an opportunity to participate in the shaping of a country, to have a voice, to be counted,” said USS Hornet Museum Executive Director Laura Fies. “With this new chapter, you and your future generations are joining us as Americans, with as equal a right to make history as myself or anyone else here today. You all demonstrated immense courage and tenacity in the work you’ve done so far. Bring the best of your history and join us continuing to make this nation a better place.”