English subtitles for clip: File:Naturalization Ceremony for U.S. Service Members.webm

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Announcer:
Ladies and gentlemen,
the President of the

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United States accompanied by
Secretary Janet Napolitano and

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Director Alejandro Mayorkas.

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Ladies and gentlemen, to
sing the National Anthem,

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please welcome Sergeant
First Class, Colin Eaton.

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♪♪ (National Anthem) ♪♪

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Director Alejandro Mayorkas:
Please be seated.

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It is now my distinct honor to
present 24 members of the United

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State Armed Forces from 16
countries throughout the world

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who applied for their
United States citizenship.

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All of these candidates have
been examined by the United

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States Citizen and Immigration
Services and have been found to

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be qualified to become
United States citizens.

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Citizenship candidates, as I
read the name of your country,

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please stand and
remain standing.

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Brazil.

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China.

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Columbia.

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England.

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Ethiopia.

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Guyana.

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Haiti.

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Jamaica.

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Kenya.

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Mexico.

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Papua New Guinea.

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Peru.

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Philippians.

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Poland.

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Togo.

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Trinidad and Tobago.

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At this time, please welcome
Secretary of Homeland Secretary,

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Janet Napolitano who will
administer the oath of

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allegiance and admit these candidates
to United States citizenship.

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Secretary Janet Napolitano:
Good morning.
Please remain standing.

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Candidates please raise your
right hand and repeat after me.

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I, and state your name.

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Candidates:
I --

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Secretary Janet Napolitano:
Hereby declare on oath

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Candidates:
Hereby declare on oath

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Secretary Janet Napolitano:
That I absolutely and entirely

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Candidates:
That I absolutely and entirely

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Secretary Janet Napolitano:
Renounce and abjure

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Candidates:
Renounce and abjure

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Secretary Janet Napolitano:
All allegiance and fidelity

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Candidates:
All allegiance and fidelity

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Secretary Janet Napolitano:
To any foreign prince

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Candidates:
To any foreign prince

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Secretary Janet Napolitano:
Potentate

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Candidates:
Potentate

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Secretary Janet Napolitano:
State or sovereignty

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Candidates:
State or sovereignty

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Secretary Janet Napolitano:
Of whom or which

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Candidates:
Of whom or which

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Secretary Janet Napolitano:
I have heretofore have
been a subject or citizen

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Candidates:
I have here to for have
been a subject or citizen

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Secretary Janet Napolitano:
That I will support and defend

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Candidates:
That I will support and defend

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Secretary Janet Napolitano:
The constitution and laws of
the United States of America

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Candidates:
The constitution and laws of
the United States of America

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Secretary Janet Napolitano:
Against all enemies

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Candidates:
Against all enemies

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Secretary Janet Napolitano:
Foreign and domestic

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Candidates:
Foreign and domestic

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Secretary Janet Napolitano:
That I will bare true faith
and allegiance to the same

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Candidates:
That I will bare true faith
and allegiance to the same

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Secretary Janet Napolitano:
That I will bare arms on
behalf of the United States

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Candidates:
That I will bare arms on
behalf of the United States

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Secretary Janet Napolitano:
When required by law

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Candidates:
When required by law

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Secretary Janet Napolitano:
That I will perform
noncombatant service

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Candidates:
That I will perform
noncombatant service

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Secretary Janet Napolitano:
In the armed forces
of the United States

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Candidates:
In the armed forces
of the United States

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Secretary Janet Napolitano:
When required by law

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Candidates:
When required by law

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Secretary Janet Napolitano:
That I will perform work
of national importance

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Candidates:
That I will perform work
of national importance

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Secretary Janet Napolitano:
Under civilian direction

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Candidates:
Under civilian direction

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Secretary Janet Napolitano:
When required by law

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Candidates:
When required by law

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Secretary Janet Napolitano:
That I take this
obligation freely

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Candidates:
That I take this
obligation freely

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Secretary Janet Napolitano:
Without any mental reservation

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Candidates:
Without any mental reservation

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Secretary Janet Napolitano:
Or purpose of evasion

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Candidates:
Or purpose of evasion

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Secretary Janet Napolitano:
So help me God.

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Candidates:
So help me God.

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Secretary Janet Napolitano:
Congratulations, new citizens.

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(applause)

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Secretary Napolitano:
Please be seated.

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One of the great privileges of
being the secretary of Homeland

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Security is administering
the oath of allegiance to

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new American citizens.

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This is all the more so when
these new citizens are members

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of our armed forces, like the
candidates here this morning,

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like the new citizens
here this morning.

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It takes a very special
individual to serve and defend

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a nation that is not
yet fully your own,

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but that's what each
of you are doing.

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That is testimony to your
strong sense of patriotism,

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is testimony to your honor.

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Our nation thanks
you for your service.

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We owe the freedoms we all
enjoy to the sacrifices of

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men and women like you.

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Since September the 11th, 2001,
United States Citizenship and

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Immigration Services has
naturalized over 58,000

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members of our armed forces,
bringing immigration services to

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our troops wherever they serve.

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And since last year USCIS has
offered non-citizen enlistees

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the opportunity to naturalize
immediately upon completion of

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basic training, so that they can
graduate as American citizens.

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And supporting this work is
a cadre of exceptional USCIS

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immigration officers who
work directly with the

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military and their families.

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Because many of these civil
servants are veterans

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themselves, they're keenly aware
of the unique circumstances and

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multiple deployments
military families can face.

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Proud to say that we are now
working closely with the

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Department of Defense on our
naturalization and basic

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training initiative, and hope
to expand this to all branches

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of the service no later
than the end of this year.

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And we will continue to do
everything in our power to

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expedite the naturalization
process for those who are

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already giving so
much to our country.

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So let me offer you
my congratulations

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on your achievement today.

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We are all proud to call
you fellow citizens.

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And now, it is my distinct honor
and privilege to introduce to

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you the president of
the United States.

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Mr. President.

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(applause)

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President Obama:
Good morning, everybody.

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Thank you, Secretary Napolitano,
for being here to administer the

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oath --for making it official.

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Thank you, also, for leading our
efforts to achieve comprehensive

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immigration reform so that
America keeps faith with our

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heritage as both a nation of
immigrants and a nation of laws.

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To Director Mayorkas and all
the dedicated folks at U.S.

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Citizenship and
Immigration Services,

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thank you for your help
to these men and women,

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and so many of our troops, to
realize their dreams of citizenship.

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We are joined by
Congresswoman Susan Davis,

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Deputy Secretary of Defense Bill
Lynn and the Vice Chairman of

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the Joint Chiefs of Staff,
General Jim "Hoss" Cartwright.

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Most of all, to America's newest
citizens -- it is a great honor

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to serve as your
Commander-in-Chief,

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and it is my greatest pleasure
to be among the first to greet

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you as a "fellow American."

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To you and your families,
welcome to the White House.

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Today is your day -- a
celebration of 24 inspiring men

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and women and the remarkable
journeys that have brought you

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together on this beautiful spring morning to our nation's capitol.

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The paths that led you here
began in more than a dozen

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countries, from Peru to Poland,
from Kenya to the Philippines.

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Some of you came to
America as children,

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holding tight to your parents' hands as you arrived in a new world.

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Some of you came as adults,
leaving everything you knew

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behind in pursuit of a new life.

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And while your
stories are your own,

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today we celebrate the common
spirit that lives within each

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of you -- a spirit that has
renewed and strengthened America

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for more than two centuries.

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We celebrate the love of family
-- your moms and dads who were

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willing to say good-bye
to their own families,

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their own countries, so they
could have an opportunity to

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give you the opportunity
you never had.

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Like generations of immigrants
before them, they worked hard.

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They scrimped and they saved.

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They deferred their own dreams
so that you could realize yours.

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So today is a tribute to
their sacrifices as well.

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And I would ask that you join me
in honoring your moms and dads

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and the families that helped
bring you to this day.

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(applause)

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We celebrate the spirit of
possibility -- an ethic that

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says if you're willing to put
your shoulder to the wheel and

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apply your God-given talents, if
you believe in yourself and you

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play by the rules, then there is
a place for you in the United

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States of America -- no matter
where you come from and no

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matter what you look like.

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It's the spirit that brought a
young woman from the People's

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Republic of China and inspired
her to enlist in the United

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States Air Force,
where she excels as a

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material management specialist.

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So today we congratulate our
fellow citizen, Yu Yuan.

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(applause)

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It's the spirit that brought a
refugee from Ethiopia and led

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him to enlist in the U.S.
Army because, he said,

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he wanted to give back to the country that "has given me the

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opportunity to be
all that I can be."

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And today we congratulate
Berhan Teferi.

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(applause)

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We celebrate the true meaning
of patriotism -- the love of a

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country that's so strong that
these men and women were willing

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to risk their lives to defend
our country even before they

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could call it their own.

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It's a patriotism of
a daughter of Mexico,

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who came to America in those
first terrible days after 9/11,

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joined the U.S. Navy and says, "I take pride in our flag and

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the history that forged this great nation and the history we

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write day by day."

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So today we congratulate
Perla Ramos.

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(applause)

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And it's the patriotism of a
young man from Papua New Guinea,

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who joined the United States
Marine Corps and deployed to

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Iraq -- not once, not
twice, but three times.

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Asked why he would choose to
become an American citizen,

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he said simply,
"I might as well.

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I love this country already."

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And so we congratulate
Granger Michael.

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(applause)

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The four of you can sit down.

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You represent not only the
branch of the Armed Services

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that you are a part of, but also
the other members who are your

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fellow citizens here today,
and we thank you very much.

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We're grateful to you.

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(applause)

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In short, today we celebrate the
very essence of the country that

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we all love -- an America where
so many of our forbearers came

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from someplace else; a society
that's been enriched by

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traditions and cultures from
every corner of the world;

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a dynamic economy that's
constantly renewed by the

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talents and energies
of each new citizen;

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and a people who understand
that citizenship is not just a

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collection of rights, but it's
also a set of responsibilities.

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Like so many others,
these men and women

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met their responsibilities.

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They played by the rules.

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They have earned
their citizenship.

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And so on a day like this, we
are also reminded of how we must

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remain both a nation of
immigrants and a nation of laws.

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This includes fixing America's
broken immigration system.

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Over the years, many have
attempted to confront this

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challenge, but passions are great and disagreements run deep.

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Yet surely we can all agree that
when 11 million people in our

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country are living here
illegally, outside the system,

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that's unacceptable.

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The American people demand
and deserve a solution.

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And they deserve common-sense,
comprehensive immigration reform

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grounded in the principles
of responsibility and accountability.

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Government has a responsibility
to enforce the law and secure

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our borders and set clear
rules and priorities for future immigration.

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And under Secretary Napolitano's
leadership at the Department of

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Homeland Security, that's
exactly what we're doing.

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We've strengthened
security at our borders,

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ports and airports and we
will continue to do so,

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because America's
borders must be secure.

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That's part of what these young
people here today stand for.

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Businesses have a responsibility
to obey the law and not

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undermine American workers,
especially when so many

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Americans are out of work.

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Many businesses work to comply
with the law every day.

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But for those that don't --
those that ignore the law and

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exploit and abuse vulnerable
workers and try to gain an

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unfair advantage over all the
businesses that do follow the

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law -- we will hold
them accountable.

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And people who are in America
illegally have a responsibility

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-- to pay their back taxes
and admit responsibility for

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breaking the law, pay a
penalty, learn English,

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pass criminal background checks,
and get right with the law -- or

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face removal -- before they
can get in line and eventually

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earn their citizenship.

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So responsibility, accountability,

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common-sense, comprehensive
immigration reform.

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I thank Secretary Napolitano for
helping to lead our efforts,

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both on and off Capitol Hill.

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And I thank Senators Schumer and
Graham for working with us to

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forge a bipartisan consensus on
a framework for moving forward,

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and I welcome the commitment
of House and Senate Democratic

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leaders to take action.

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I'll continue to consult with
Democrats and Republicans in

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Congress, and I would note that
11 current Republican Senators

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voted to pass immigration
reform four years ago.

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I'm hopeful that they will join
with Democrats in doing so again

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so we can make the progress
the American people deserve.

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Indeed, our failure to act
responsibly at the federal

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level will only open the door
to irresponsibility by others.

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And that includes, for example,
the recent efforts in Arizona,

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which threatened to undermine
basic notions of fairness that

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we cherish as Americans, as well
as the trust between police and

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their communities that is so
crucial to keeping us safe.

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In fact, I've instructed members
of my administration to closely

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monitor the situation and
examine the civil rights and

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other implications
of this legislation.

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But if we continue to fail
to act at a federal level,

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we will continue to see
misguided efforts opening

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up around the country.

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As a nation, as a people, we can
choose a different future -- a

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future that keeps faith with
our history, with our heritage,

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and with the hope that America
has always inspired in the

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hearts of people
all over the world.

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For just as each of these 24 new
citizens once cast their eyes

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upon our country
from afar, so too,

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somewhere in the world today
is a young boy or a young girl

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wondering if they, too,
might someday share in

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America's promise.

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In the example of
these new citizens,

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and in the actions we take as a
nation, let us offer our answer,

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with confidence and optimism.

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Yes, there is a place called
America that still welcomes

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those "yearning
to breathe free."

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A country where if you work hard
and meet your responsibilities,

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you can pursue your dreams.

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A society where out of many, we
are one -- "one nation under

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God, indivisible, with
liberty and justice for all."

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That's the promise of America.

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That is the spirit that all of
you are renewing here today.

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We are incredibly proud
of you, God bless you,

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and may God bless the
United States of America.

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(applause)

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Now, we have one other
piece of business.

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Would Sergeant Ledum Ndaanee
please come forward?

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There he is.

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How are you, sir?

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Sergeant Ndaanee:
Hello, sir.

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President Obama:
Growing up in Nigeria, Ledum probably never imagined he'd be

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standing on this stage today.

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Sergeant Ndaanee:
That's right, sir.

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President Obama:
Neither did I.

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(laughter)

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But thanks to the generosity
of churches in Virginia,

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00:18:27,467 --> 00:18:31,337
he and his parents found a
home in the United States.

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And Ledum, who says "I always
wanted to be in the military,"

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found his calling in the
United States Marine Corps.

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00:18:38,400 --> 00:18:41,930
He deployed to Iraq, and was
serving his second tour when

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his unit was struck by an
improvised explosive device.

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In the weeks and
months that followed,

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he battled to recover from
traumatic brain injury.

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At a VA medical center, with
his parents at his side,

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he was presented a Purple Heart.

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And a few moments later, he was
sworn in as an American citizen.

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This Marine was not only
determined to recover,

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he was determined
to help others.

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He has been a leader and mentor
to his fellow wounded warriors.

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00:19:08,834 --> 00:19:10,364
In fact, I hear he's
quite an athlete --

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Sergeant Ndaanee:
Yes, sir.

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00:19:11,433 --> 00:19:12,633
President Obama:
-- he agrees.

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(laughter)

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He will compete next month in
the first Warrior Games at the

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00:19:17,867 --> 00:19:21,397
U.S. Olympic training
center in Colorado.

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00:19:21,400 --> 00:19:24,530
So for his distinguished
service to country,

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00:19:24,533 --> 00:19:30,103
and for inspiring us all with
his example of what citizenship

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00:19:30,100 --> 00:19:34,330
truly means, I am proud to
join the U.S. Citizenship and

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00:19:34,333 --> 00:19:37,433
Immigration Services in presenting this recognition --

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00:19:37,433 --> 00:19:41,763
the "Outstanding American
by Choice" award --

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00:19:41,767 --> 00:19:46,297
to Sergeant Ledum Ndaanee.

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Do we have the award?

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00:19:47,533 --> 00:19:53,263
(applause)

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00:19:53,266 --> 00:20:10,596
(the award is presented)

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With that, I'd ask Sergeant
Ndaanee to conclude our ceremony

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by leading us all in the
Pledge of Allegiance.

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00:20:30,467 --> 00:20:47,937
(the Pledge of
Allegiance is recited)

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00:20:47,934 --> 00:20:49,234
Thank you, everybody.

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00:20:49,233 --> 00:21:00,063
(applause)