Immigrants welcomed at Roosevelt mansion

A group of immigrants huddled on a side porch of Cove Neck's Sagamore Hill mansion Monday, holding small American flags as they heard from a man introduced as the 26th president of the United States.

The bespectacled speaker, who wore a top hat and a three-piece suit, was Theodore Roosevelt impersonator James Foote, but he spoke as the former president might have.

"Americanism is not a question of birthplace, creed or religion," he told them, "but rather a question of purpose, spirit and ideal."

The historical sketch was part of a citizenship ceremony, the first held at Roosevelt's home in the Town of Oyster Bay, to welcome 50 Long Island immigrants to the ranks of Americans.

Such ceremonies usually take place at federal courthouses in the region, but this one was held at the Sagamore Hill National Historic Site to help mark National Park Week.

The immigrants came from 35 countries ranging from Argentina to Zambia. To Reina Lazo, the historical setting was a reminder of how special the day was.

Lazo, a custodian for the Freeport Public Schools, fled her native El Salvador 25 years ago when that country was torn by civil war.

Her brother had been killed, her father had been kidnapped for ransom, and she was afraid for her own life.

The United States gave her asylum and full residency, as it did to tens of thousands who qualified for the Nicaraguan Adjustment and Central American Relief Act. The next step was citizenship.

"I wanted to become a citizen because I feel that I contribute as much to this country as all other Americans," said Lazo, 45. "I love this land because it took me in when I most needed it."

All those sworn in at the event had been cleared by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services for naturalization, a process by which legal immigrants gain citizenship. Applicants pay application fees, learn English, pass a U.S. history and civics test and clear criminal checks.

The group also included two members of the U.S. military, who began serving in the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard before they became citizens, said Andrea Quarantillo, New York's district director for Citizenship and Immigration Services.

Melissa Skeen, an immigrant from Belize who's married to a U.S. citizen and has two American children, said she was glad to join the rest of her family as a citizen.

"It's a privilege and an honor," said Skeen, 33, of West Babylon. "I feel that here I have a lot more room to grow and for my kids to achieve."

From around the globe

The 50 immigrants who became U.S. citizens at Sagamore Hill are a small representation of hundreds of thousands of immigrants sworn in as Americans every year. About 676,000 took that oath in 2010.

Those sworn in Monday were a diverse group hailing from these parts of the world:

11 from Caribbean countries, including the Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Haiti.

8 from South America, including Colombia, Argentina and Brazil.

8 from Europe, including Ireland, Italy and Poland.

7 from Asia, including China, Bangladesh and Malaysia.

7 from Central America, including El Salvador, Belize and Panama.

4 from the Middle East, including Iran, Israel and Jordan.

2 from North America -- Mexico and Canada.

2 from Africa -- Zambia and South Africa.

1 from Australia.

Source: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security.