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Citizenship Day Celebration01:16PM / Tuesday, September 08, 2009
PITTSFIELD, Mass. - The Berkshire Immigrant Center will host a celebration of newly naturalized citizens on Thursday, September 17th from 5:00pm to 7:00pm at the First Baptist Church, 88 South Street, Pittsfield. Anyone who has become a naturalized citizen during the past eighteen months is invited to attend along with their families.
The event will feature a potluck dinner with dishes from around the world as well as a slideshow and speeches. New citizens are asked to please confirm their attendance in advance by calling (413) 445-4881 or emailing info@berkshireic.com.
September 17th is national “Citizenship Day,” an event established by President Harry Truman in 1952 to celebrate the privileges, rights, and responsibilities of U.S. citizenship and to honor both native-born and naturalized citizens. September 17th was chosen because it was the day on which the U.S. Constitution was signed in 1787. Several Berkshire County residents will be sworn-in as new citizens at an oath ceremony in Worcester on this date.
Citizenship Day also provides the opportunity to highlight the many benefits that citizenship brings to individuals, families, and communities. Among these is the right to voted, derivative citizenship for children, the ability to sponsor family members to legally immigrate to the U.S., the preservation of public benefits, protection from deportation, the ability to travel freely and safely on a U.S. passport, and increased access to public employment and educational scholarships.
The Berkshire Immigrant Center, a program of Berkshire Community Action Council, has been providing a full range of citizenship services to local residents since 1997. In 2008, the Center assisted over 120 Berkshire County residents to file applications and prepare for their naturalization interviews.
The Center also offers immigration benefit information and application support, legal assistance, advocacy, and referrals to the growing immigrant population of Berkshire County. The program is funded in part by the Berkshire United Way, the City of Pittsfield, the Mass Bar Foundation, the Citizenship for New Americans Program, and the New World Fund. For more information about the Berkshire Immigrant or Citizenship Day, please call (413) 445-4881 or email info@berkshireic.com. |
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