They came from 52 countries around the world to become U.S. citizens and renounce allegiance to their native land.
Applicants for citizenship are required to demonstrate a knowledge of U.S. history and government during an oral exam in which they are asked 10 questions from a list of 100 questions. They must answer six questions correctly to pass the civics portion of the naturalization test.
Here is a sample of the questions:
What was one important thing that Abraham Lincoln did?
What is one responsibility that is only for United States citizens?
The idea of self-government is in the first three words of the Constitution. What are these words?
What happened at the Constitutional Convention?
When must all men register for the Selective Service?
Who is in charge of the executive branch?
What movement tried to end racial discrimination?
What did Susan B. Anthony do?
Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?
Why did the colonists fight the British?
How many justices are on the Supreme Court?
“I know that each of you have made a courageous decision,” said U.S. District Court Judge Richard M. Gergel.
Gergel, who said his grandparents were from Poland and Russia, led 111 people in an oath as they swore to become Americans.
“It’s a relief. It was an arduous process,” said John Lee, 19, a Myrtle Beach resident from South Korea.
His mother, Meesook Lee, also became a citizen. The family has a dry cleaning business and John Lee is a student at Clemson University.
“There are a lot more opportunities in America than you can find anywhere else,” he said.
The naturalization ceremony took place Tuesday in a large tent erected on the grounds of the Charles Pinckney National Historic Site.
“I finally get to vote. No more showing the green card,” said Renate Marek, 41, a native of Germany who lives in Columbia.
Lance Cpl. Tung Lam, who came from Vietnam, said he arrived in Los Angeles with his parents in 2004. Lam, 20, is stationed at the Marine Corps Air Station in Beaufort.
“Today feels like I’m reborn. I consider it my second birthday,” he said.
The candidates for citizenship represented a diversity of nations including the Philippines, India, China, Canada, Nigeria, Jamaica, Venezuela, England, Russia, Mexico, Argentina and Somalia. They pledged to support and defend the U.S. Constitution against all enemies foreign and domestic. They promised to bear arms on behalf of the U.S. when required by law.
The citizenship applicants completed a three- to four-month process of naturalization that included passing a U.S. government and history exam and demonstrating the ability to read, write and speak English. They also went through an extensive background check and security clearance.
In federal fiscal year 2013, some 5,000 people in South Carolina became U.S. citizens. Weekly naturalization ceremonies occur at government offices, said Karen Dalziel of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Some immigrants petition the court for a name change. “A lot of them like to Anglify their name. Some of them like to choose an historical name,” she said.