A diverse group of 51 people from 25 countries raised their right hands, took the oath of allegiance and became Maine’s newest United States citizens during a naturalization ceremony at the Lyman Moore Middle School gymnasium on Friday morning.

Packed onto the pull-out bleachers behind the group, friends and family cheered. Many took pictures. A few wiped away tears.

In the nearby cafeteria, seventh-graders handed out American flags, bottled water, hot coffee and cake, welcoming the new citizens to what students were once taught to call the “American melting pot” but are now learning to think of as the “American salad bowl.” 

Read more in this April 5, 2024 story in the Bangor Daily News.