{"id":1628,"date":"2026-06-26T20:44:56","date_gmt":"2026-06-26T20:44:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/corporate-movers-usa.com\/?p=1628"},"modified":"2026-06-26T20:44:56","modified_gmt":"2026-06-26T20:44:56","slug":"gov-shapiro-welcomes-63-new-u-s-citizens-from-17-countries-in-chesco-alongside-a-george-washington-reenactor-and-bald-eagle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/corporate-movers-usa.com\/?p=1628","title":{"rendered":"Gov. Shapiro welcomes 63 new U.S. citizens from 17 countries in Chesco alongside a George Washington reenactor and bald eagle"},"content":{"rendered":"<div><div><div><audio><\/audio><\/div><\/div><p>It\u2019s been a long time coming, Matthew Mckena reflected. There were hiccups in the process. But by midday Friday, he was officially a U.S. citizen, in time for the country\u2019s 250th birthday, and welcomed by Gov. Josh Shapiro, a George Washington reenactor, and even a bald eagle.<\/p><p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/corporate-movers-usa.com\/?p=1626\">Speed cameras on Frankford Avenue will begin issuing fines<\/a><\/p><div><\/div><p>\u201cIt just became a battle of perseverance, but also we\u2019ve come so far,\u201d he said. \u201cThe hope in itself is also in the waiting, and so it\u2019s now coming in full circle. It\u2019s just unbelievable of having waited for so long for something, and then finally having it.\u201d <\/p><div><\/div><div><\/div><p>Mckena, 21, was one of 63 people from 17 counties to take their oaths as new citizens in Valley Forge on Friday. For many of them, who ranged in ages 18 to 87, the day was a culmination of years of effort and lives they\u2019d built in the country. <\/p><div><\/div><p>Mckena\u2019s siblings were born in the United States, before his family moved back to Kenya, where he was born. When he was in high school, his family returned to the U.S. He\u2019s now a college student pursuing a degree in mechanical engineering. <\/p><div><\/div><p>\u201c[There are] so many opportunities that have been afforded with this move to be at a place where it\u2019s so easy to access education infrastructure,\u201d he said. <\/p><div><\/div><div><\/div><div><\/div><p>Helene Hartmann Dirani, 42, has called a few nations home: Originally from Kazakhstan, she moved to Germany at 13 years old, and then studied in Austria. She later met her now-husband in the United States. After years of long-distance dating, they settled down, and she moved to the country 13 years ago. Three children later, the ceremony felt like a special moment for Hartmann Dirani. <\/p><div><\/div><p>\u201cBeing with my husband and my children, and settling down is really what makes it so special,\u201d she said. <\/p><div><\/div><div><\/div><p>The naturalization ceremony was held one week before America\u2019s Semiquincentennial in historic Valley Forge. Chester County Court of Common Pleas President Judge Ann Marie Wheatcraft called the new citizens\u2019 attention to that legacy.<\/p><div><\/div><p>\u201cValley Forge reminds us that citizenship is not simply inherited, it is claimed often at a great cost, and many of the many of us take that for granted. You understand better than most,\u201d she said. \u201cYou chose America. You worked hard for this. \u2026 Bear with us your gifts, your culture, and all that makes you unique.\u201d<\/p><div><\/div><div><\/div><div><\/div><p>America has always been \u201ca land of dreams\u201d for Rohan Bakshi, 45. He came to the country from India in 2012, and has felt a part of the country. He built a life, family, and career here. After so many years, this was a \u201cdream come true,\u201d he said. <\/p><div><\/div><p>\u201cThis is the best country to live in,\u201d said Bakshi, whose wife will be sitting in his seat soon, as she pursues her own citizenship. \u201cI\u2019ve seen other countries as well. It\u2019s a privilege to be an American citizen.\u201d<\/p><p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/corporate-movers-usa.com\/?p=1624\">Why Fountain Porter raised the price of its iconic burger<\/a><\/p><div><\/div><div><\/div><p>Lina Zhang, 41, felt emotional as she waited to take her oath. Roughly 14 years ago, she moved from China to the United States. In the beginning, her English \u201csucked,\u201d she said. But she learned fast: attending GED classes, using her translator app to translate English to Chinese, and then translating back to English, so she could take her exams. <\/p><div><\/div><p>Her hard work earned her some of the highest marks her teacher had seen in years, she said. She went on to college, majoring in accounting and minoring in finance, landing a job with a public accounting firm. <\/p><div><\/div><p>Surrounded by her family Friday, she was glad to be sitting at the ceremony. <\/p><div><\/div><p>\u201cI\u2019m proud of myself,\u201d she said. <\/p><div><\/div><div><\/div><div><\/div><p>Speaking to the new citizens, Gov. Josh Shapiro recognized the work each person had put in to reach this moment. But, he warned: \u201cAs new Americans, your work is just beginning.\u201d<\/p><div><\/div><p>Recalling Ben Franklin\u2019s famous quote, \u201cA Republic, if you can keep it,\u201d Shapiro told them those words \u2014 \u201cif you can keep it\u201d \u2014 was their charge.<\/p><div><\/div><div><\/div><p>\u201cEach successive generation of Americans have continued that work, caring for their neighbors, standing up for freedoms that our founding fathers fought for, taking an oath of citizenship, working in the halls of Congress, the halls of our state capitol, the halls of our county \u2014 that work now falls to each of you to be engaged American citizens,\u201d he said. <\/p><div><\/div><div><\/div><div><\/div><p>After the ceremony, Mckena said, from his experience, a lot of people discount the value of American citizenship.<\/p><div><\/div><p>\u201cThere really is a high cost that a lot of people pay, and there really is a huge disparity in what democracy offers and what the rest of the world offers, and so really it\u2019s a special opportunity,\u201d he said. \u201cPeople who already had it [should] really treasure and understand it. And for those who don\u2019t, seek after it.\u201d<\/p><div><\/div><div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"128\" height=\"128\" alt=\"The Inquirer logo\" class=\"wp-image-47\" src=\"https:\/\/corporate-movers-usa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/faba80d67140212ba32240655442c529.png\"\/><\/figure>\n\n<\/div>\n        Inquirer Chester County\n      <\/div>\n<div>\n<p>Want to get Inquirer Chester County straight to your inbox every week? Sign up here for our guide to the news, stories, and events shaping life in your community.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><div><\/div><p><i>This suburban content is produced with support from the Leslie Miller and Richard Worley Foundation and The Lenfest Institute for Journalism. Editorial content is created independently of the project donors. Gifts to support The Inquirer\u2019s high-impact journalism can be made at <\/i><i>inquirer.com\/donate<\/i><i>. A list of Lenfest Institute donors can be found at <\/i><i>lenfestinstitute.org\/supporters<\/i><i>.<\/i><\/p><p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/corporate-movers-usa.com\/?p=1622\">Philadelphia Stadium plays its part as FIFA sets a new World Cup attendance record<\/a><\/p><div><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Held at historic Valley Forge, dozens of people took their oath to become citizens. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1627,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1628","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-pennsylvania"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Gov. 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