The San Jose Earthquakes are teaming up with the City of San Jose, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), and Citi Community Development to host a naturalization ceremony set to take place at Avaya Stadium tomorrow, as a part of National Welcoming Week.
The ceremony will begin at 6:15 p.m., a little over an hour prior to the Quakes’ kickoff against the Sounders. It will involve 10 people, including a family of four from the Philippines, two married couples from India, and two individuals from Mexico. Club president Dave Kaval is scheduled to speak at the event, along with City Councilmember Manh Nguyen and District Director of USCIS John Kramer.
The event will kick off National Welcoming Week, which is described as a “nationwide event that will highlight the contributions of immigrants to American communities” on Welcoming America’s official website. David Lubell, Welcoming America’s Executive Director, noted that the week is “further evidence of the overwhelming desire of our country to be welcoming to New Americans. We are inspired by the growing global movement of welcomers and the continued momentum of civic leaders in the U.S. who recognize that our communities are stronger and more prosperous when they are welcoming.”
It is a week to unite people all over the country – those who choose to embrace their neighbors and see immigrants as sources of strength – through a number of unique events, the ceremony at Avaya Stadium being one such affair. The City of San Jose also noted in their September 10 news release that the City and its nonprofit partners will be hosting a Citizenship Resource Fair on September 17 to “offer valuable information on the naturalization process as well as financial coaching and responsible financial solutions.”