Guam News - Community Events

Guam - In celebration of Liberation Day, the District Court of Guam will welcome 52 new citizens to the United States of America.

These new citizens, who hail from Australia, the Federated States of Micronesia, India, Italy, Japan, the People’s Republic of China, Philippines, Russia, South Korea, Taiwan and Vietnam, will take their oath of citizenship in a special Liberation Day Naturalization Ceremony to be held at the court on Friday, July 20, at 9:30 am.

Liberation Day commemorates Guam’s liberation from Japanese occupation during World War II. “In celebration of this year’s Liberation Day theme, ‘Imagine Guam: 68 Years of Progress Through Peace,’ the District Court of Guam is extremely proud to join the island in honoring Guam’s liberators, whose valor and sacrifices secured the freedom we enjoy today and the progress Guam has achieved over the years,” said Chief Judge Frances Tydingco-Gatewood.

The keynote speaker during the ceremony will be the Honorable Anthony M. Babauta, Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Insular Affairs, U.S. Department of Interior. Nominated by President Barack Obama in July 2009 and confirmed by the United States Senate in September 2009, Assistant Secretary Babauta is the first person of Marianas/Micronesian descent appointed by a U.S. President.

This year’s celebration will allow the newly naturalized citizens to fully exercise their rights, as the court will host its Citizenship Outreach Program. Immediately after the naturalization ceremony, these new citizens will be able to register to vote and apply for a U.S. passport, provided they have the appropriate supporting documentation for the application.

Representatives from the Guam Election Commission and the Guam Passport Office will be present after the ceremony to assist these new citizens with any questions.