Twenty-Five New Citizens To Participate in Naturalization Ceremony at the National Archives
Press Release · Wednesday, September 13, 2023

Washington, DC

To celebrate Constitution Day (September 17), 25 new citizens from 24 nations will take their oaths in front of the original Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. The naturalization ceremony will take place on Friday, September 15, at 10 a.m. in the Rotunda of the National Archives Museum.

The ceremony is closed to the public, but a recording will be posted later on the National Archives YouTube channel.

The press is invited to cover the ceremony. Accredited media representatives should use the Constitution Avenue special events entrance, at 7th Street, NW, and set up by 9:45 a.m., as the ceremony begins promptly at 10 a.m. RSVP to public.affairs@nara.gov.

Please note: flash and additional lights are prohibited in the Rotunda.

This year’s Constitution Day marks the 236th anniversary of the ratification of the U.S. Constitution. Learn more online about the U.S. Constitution through our public programs, family activities, and online resources.

The September 15 ceremony will be hosted by Archivist of the United States Dr. Colleen Shogan.

“I look forward to welcoming these 25 citizens as the newest members of our big, boisterous American family at this special event,” said Dr. Shogan. “I am honored to be a part of this naturalization for the first time as the head of the National Archives and to stand with you in front of the most important documents in our nation’s history.”

The Reverend Eugene Cho will give remarks. Reverend Cho was born in South Korea and immigrated to the United States as a child with his parents. He is President and CEO of Bread for the World, a nonpartisan Christian organization that works with partners to advocate for policy changes to end hunger.

The  Honorable James E. Boasberg, Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, will preside as the petitioners for United States citizenship take the oath of citizenship at the National Archives.

The 25 new citizens are from 24 nations: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Cameroon, Canada, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Egypt, El Salvador, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Germany, Ghana, Guyana, Hungary, India, Ireland, Jamaica, Mexico, Philippines, Portugal, Senegal, Serbia, and Venezuela.

The National Archives Museum in the National Archives Building is located at Constitution Avenue and 7th Street, NW, in Washington, DC, and is Metro accessible on the Yellow and Green lines at the Archives/Navy Memorial/Penn Quarter station.

This program is presented in partnership with the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and the Department of Homeland Security U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

Please note: Due to the ceremony, the Rotunda and the National Archives Museum will open to the public at noon and remain open until 5:30 p.m. Regular hours of 10 a.m.–5:30 p.m. resume on September 16.