NORTHAMPTON — Certain dates become unforgettable milestones. For Djoyce Matias Venturim, June 23, 2015, and July 4, 2026, mark the beginning of two chapters of her American story.
Just over 11 years ago, the Marlborough resident set foot in the United States for the first time. On Saturday morning, she became an American citizen.
“I love the United States. I feel so proud,” gushed Venturim on the lawn of the Hampshire County Courthouse, moments after she was naturalized alongside 50 other people from 25 different countries. “Today is the happiest day of my life — after the day I first arrived here.”
While she had just pledged allegiance to America and renounced allegiance to Brazil, her native country, she joked that the oath does not extend to soccer.
“Unfortunately, I got to cheer for Brazil,” she said.
Surrounded by about 200 family members, friends, community supporters and local dignitaries, those who became American citizens received a warm welcome on a sweltering Fourth of July that marked the nation’s 250th anniversary.
Speakers at the ceremony, organized for the 18th year by the Center for New Americans, celebrated how each would add another thread to the fabric of American life, with the new citizens representing nearly every continent.
They came from Albania, Brazil, Cambodia, China, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Greece, Honduras, India, Kenya, South Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, the United Kingdom and Vietnam.
Like Venturim, many of the new citizens spoke of the relief and excitement that came with reaching the end of a long journey. With certificates in hand after the hourlong ceremony, it was time to celebrate. As “Celebration” by Kool & the Gang blared from speakers, the newly minted Americans accepted congratulations, posed for photos and gathered under a tent for refreshments.
“It was a long process, a lot of study, and I was super nervous in this conflict with politics right now — like I thought we wouldn’t make it,” said Ray Silveira, a native of Brazil who now lives in Auburn.
Jora War, who emigrated from India and now owns a trucking company in Reading, said becoming a U.S. citizen was the culmination of years of waiting.
“I’m pretty excited. Man, it was a long time,” he said.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Kenneth P. Neiman presided over the ceremony, joined by Northampton Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra, state Sen. Jo Comerford, D-Northampton, and state Rep. Lindsay Sabadosa, D-Northampton.
Neiman mixed humor with history in his remarks.
“If any of you are thinking about becoming a judge, realize that it’s very warm in a robe on a hot day,” said Neiman, drawing laughs at the beginning of his remarks.
He noted that the ceremony carried special significance because it fell on the nation’s 250th birthday. “I will share with you that it is also my birthday, but I am not quite 250 years old,” he said, drawing laughs.
He then turned to the nation’s long and often contentious history of immigration. He quoted George Washington about the ideal of drawing not only the affluent people of other countries but also the poor and oppressed. He noted how, at the beginning of the 20th century, nativists began promoting a negative view of immigrants, leading to political disputes and Supreme Court cases that continue today.
He praised President Lyndon B. Johnson, saying the president “got it right” in 1965 when he signed immigration reforms that ended the national origins quota system, established policies to reunite immigrant families and sought to bring in skilled workers.
Quoting Johnson, Neiman said America “was built by a nation of strangers from 100 different places or more. They have poured forth into an empty land joining and blending into one mighty, irresistible tide. The land flourished because it was fed from so many sources, because it was nourished by so many cultures and traditions and peoples — an experience almost unique in the history of nations.”
The judge also took issue with Johnson’s description of immigrants pouring into an “empty land,” noting that Native Americans were already here. He reminded those gathered that, unless they are Indigenous, every American comes from an immigrant background.
In her remarks, Sciarra reflected on her own family’s immigrant story before blowing a kiss from the podium to the new citizens seated in folding chairs in front of her.
“One of the greatest joys of being mayor here is the privilege to share this really big moment with you as the daughter of an immigrant,” she said.
The Center for New Americans, which assists immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers in western Massachusetts, has organized Fourth of July naturalization ceremonies for nearly 20 years.
Executive Director Laurie Millman welcomed the new citizens by telling them, “We the People are now more powerful for the 51 of you who are taking your oath today.”
Neiman closed with a similar message, urging the new citizens to embrace both their past and their future.
“We urge you to share your stories, honor your history and culture, and continue to weave yourself into the fabric of America,” he said.
