26 from seven countries become new American citizens day after historic election
When Candy Silva-Rauda was 18, she made it her goal to become a U.S. citizen.
She was born in El Salvador and immigrated to the U.S. with her mother and siblings when she was just 6.
More than 20 years later, the Kennewick mother of two who works two jobs stood in a federal courtroom in Richland on Wednesday, raised her right hand and pledged the Oath of Allegiance to the United States.
Silva-Rauda was one of 26 Washington-based immigrants who were sworn in as new American citizens at Wednesday’s naturalization ceremony.
They immigrated from seven countries: Colombia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Germany, Jamaica, Mexico and Russia.
Many have lived and worked in the U.S. for years, establishing careers and growing families. It can take several years before immigrants with lawful status can apply for citizenship.
Less than a day after Tuesday’s presidential election, some of the new citizens already were eager to register to vote so they could cast a ballot in a future election.
Surrounded by family members, Silva-Rauda wiped away tears after the ceremony. In one hand, she held a small American flag and her certificate of citizenship, in the other, was her young daughter’s hand.
She said her path to citizenship was long and challenging.
Silva-Rauda described struggling with financial problems after seeking help with the citizenship process from the same immigration lawyer who had worked with her mother. She went to immigration court hearings and even feared deportation when an immigration official initially couldn’t find her paperwork during an appointment.
She and her husband moved to Washington from California four years ago, and she works in Kennewick as an assistant manager at Papa Murphy’s pizza and for FedEx Ground.
Some of the other new citizens said they were excited and nervous about the ceremony, describing the moment as special and emotional.
Irma Rodriguez immigrated as a child from Mexico to Arizona with her father.
She now lives in Kennewick and works for Tyson Foods, where she processes chicken patties sold at Wendy’s restaurants.
After the ceremony, she registered to vote at a sign-up table organized by League of Women Voters of Washington and said she looked forward to voting in the next presidential election in four years.
This story was originally published November 6, 2024 at 4:08 PM.
