This year's Fourth of July holiday carried extra meaning for 20 people who became U.S. citizens at the Charlotte Museum of History on Tuesday in a special naturalization ceremony.
The 20 new citizens represented 16 different countries, including Argentina, Brazil, Canada and Nepal.
Husband and wife Mustafa and Zeinab Salih, of Sudan, took the oath of allegiance together, with their two daughters holding American flags by their side.
"We are so happy," Zeinab Salih said.
"It's a great moment. There are no words to describe this moment," her husband said.
The family said they immigrated to Charlotte, where two of their cousins already lived, in 2017. They said the road to citizenship involved learning English and adapting to a new culture.
Noel Somasundram, of Malaysia, said he had been living as a permanent resident in the U.S. for more than 40 years, and decided to apply for citizenship six months ago.
"The world just opened up with a whole bunch of new opportunities," he said with a smile.
Now he can vote, enjoy fewer travel restrictions and greater access to public benefits.
Rama Toulaye, of Guinea, was cheered by her husband and four children who gathered around her with congratulations after the ceremony. She said she came to the U.S. 18 years ago "to build a life and pursue my dreams."
"I'm very happy. I'm very excited," she said.
Toulaye said one of the first things she planned to do as a new citizen was to take her family home and celebrate the Fourth of July holiday with a barbecue.
