Ceremony welcomes 20 as U.S. Citizens at Fall River Justice Center

Bristol County District Court hosted a naturalization ceremony, part of Cultural Appreciation Day organized by the state Probation Service.

FALL RIVER — Life changed for Dr. Uma Kolli Jaladi at 12:20 p.m. Friday.

She stood with 20 others before Superior Court Judge Thomas F. McGuire and Marc J. Santos, the clerk of the courts. Dr. Kolli Jaladi raised her right hand and held a small American flag in her left as she and the others recited a 1-minute pledge.

When they finished, Santos said:

“Guess what? You are now citizens of the United States.”

Bristol County District Court hosted a naturalization ceremony, part of Cultural Appreciation Day organized by the state Probation Service. The naturalization was one of 60 held around the state on Friday.

In Fall River, Judge McGuire held a hearing to determine if the 20 applicants were qualified for citizenship. Denis C. Riordan, the leader of the federal Citizenship and Immigration Services for New England, testified that all 20 applicants had been investigated and tested.

“Each applicant has been found well qualified for U.S. citizenship,” Riordan said.

“This is such a happy day,” McGuire said to the new citizens. “It is a wonderful day for you, to achieve citizenship. It is also a happy day for the community.”

McGuire left the bench and walked to the partition to address the new citizens. He told them that they now had the obligation to defend the country and also a responsibility to pay attention to current affairs. They also had the right to vote.

Another right, the best of all, he said, was jury duty.

“It is the best part of being a citizen,” he said. When he laughed, everyone joined him.

But jury duty and voting achieve the same aims in this country, McGuire said.

“We trust the citizens more than we trust the government, sometimes, with the big decisions,” McGuire said.

The ceremony lasted 30 minutes in the classroom. It picked up again in the hallway of the fifth floor of the Fall River Justice Center, where there was food and music to celebrate the day.

Dr. Kolli Jaladi stepped out of the courtroom and went to Judge McGuire to thank him. She still carried the flag in her left hand, her certificate of citizenship in her right.

“It has been a long journey,” she said. “I am very excited. Very.”

Email Kevin P. O’Connor at koconnor@heraldnews.com.