17-year-old Minglian Pan and 15-year-old Yimei Hu
of Stuyvesant High School
become U.S. citizens at a naturalization ceremony at their school
Yimei Hu and Minglian Pan are living the American dream. But the teens, who are both students at Stuyvesant High School, made it official this week when they became United States citizens.
The Chinese immigrants were two of the more than 350 people from 55 countries naturalized at a special ceremony at Stuyvesant, attended by U.S. Labor Secretary Elaine Chao.
"I'm happy it is all official," said Pan, 17, a senior who emigrated from Hangzhou, China near Shanghai in 1987. "Now everyone in my family is an American citizen."
"It’s an honor. I’ve always wanted to become a citizen. I finally know what it means to be a real American,” Hu, 15, said. She emigrated from Beijing in 1999.
The students stood on stage in the school's auditorium with Principal Stan Teitel and Secretary Chao, whose parents immigrated to the U.S. 40 years ago. Her family's first home was an apartment in Queens.
"Congratulations, you are now an American citizen," Chao told the crowd. "You can claim the mantle of being an American."
The Stuyvesant Choir serenaded the audience with the "Star Spangled Banner" and "This is My Country".
Principal Stanley Teitel said, "This was a terrific event. Now they have a country they can call home."
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