By Jarret Liotta
As a French filmmaker who had been pursuing her dreams in the heart of Hollywood for seven years, Floriane Turcat couldn’t have written a more fitting welcome for herself.
On Monday, Oct. 21, with the Hollywood Sign shining white on the hills behind them, Turcat and eight other new U.S. citizens took the Oath of Allegiance in the first-ever naturalization ceremony to be held at the Griffith Observatory.
“It’s just completely unreal, especially for a filmmaker to be here in front of the Hollywood Sign,” Turcat said. “I didn’t believe in signs until now. It feels very humbling,” she said. “It’s been a long process and I’m overwhelmed with gratitude right now.”
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services conducts naturalization ceremonies on a daily basis in their field offices. But every so often it organizes a special event at a museum, library or national park.
Nine different countries were represented at the Monday event including Armenia, China, France, Germany,Lebanon, Mexico, Philippines, Taiwan and Venezuela. Friends and family members took photos and waved flags as several officials conducted the short ceremony.
1 of 8
“This moment is not just a personal achievement, it’s a testament to the strength and resilience and diversity that ‘images’ our nation,” noted Robert Sanders, USCIS deputy district director of the Greater Los Angeles area.
Sanders administered the oath to nine new citizens who stood with their right hands raised, repeating his cues. After the oath was official, he discussed the impact of immigrants on Hollywood’s film industry.
“Immigration has been a driving force in Hollywood’s evolution, shaping the industry from its earliest days,” Sanders said. “The influx of talent from around the world has introduced diverse perspectives and enriched storytelling. Stars like Charlie Chaplin and the director Billy Wilder, immigrants themselves, brought unique styles to help define classic Hollywood cinema. And that includes the building behind us, the observatory, which has been in films from ‘Rebel Without a Cause’ through ‘La La Land.’”
The influence of immigrant actors and filmmakers still contributes “to the rich tapestry of narratives that captivate global audiences,” he said.
For Turcat, of West Hollywood, it couldn’t have been more apropos. “I always wanted to make films,” she said, noting that while she loves French cinema, Hollywood is where she wanted to be.
“I just stand with everything America stands for,” she said. Having held her Green Card for five years to the day when she applied for citizenship — July 14, coincidentally Bastille Day, the French national day — Turcat is now thrilled to exercise one of her new rights in U.S.
“I was hoping I would be able to vote for this election and I’m very excited that today is actually the deadline for registering online,” she said.
Los Angeles City Councilmember Nithya Raman, the only naturalized citizen elected to the L.A. City Council, said, “I remember very clearly the morning when I became a naturalized citizen,” having been born in India and taken part in a naturalized citizen ceremony in Boston.
“What you’re doing today is of great importance to me,” she said, adding that 24 million of the 47 million foreign-born U.S. residents have become naturalized citizens.
Noting that naturalized citizens make up 10 percent of eligible voters, Raman said, “Sometimes I think immigrants — naturalized citizens — we love America even more than the people who got to be born here, partly because we have to fight to be here and partly because I know so acutely what this country gave me,” such as access to education and job opportunities.
Arman Grigoryan, a native of Armenia who lives in Glendale, felt a range of emotions at becoming a citizen after 18 years in the U.S.
“I feel excited, proud, and happy,” Grigoryan said, visibly moved. “It was something that I was waiting for. It’s great,” he said. “You’re becoming part of the society where you live.”
After the oath, the nine new citizens took part in the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by singing the National Anthem.
Chia Hsin Tsai, a native of Taiwan who has been in L.A. for 11 years, said, “I feel like I’ve stayed in this country for so long, I feel like I’m part of the country. So when I saw the opportunity, I felt like it was the right thing to do.”
Tsai spoke with gratitude about freedom of speech and the diversity of L.A., and what that means to her. “You really see a diverse city here, how people are very open-minded, with less judgments,” she said.
Mireille Koushian, who came here from Lebanon seven years ago, said, “It feels great,” explaining “I’ve been waiting for it.”
At first, she said the requirements for citizenship — which include a knowledge of U.S. history and familiarity with constitutional concepts and ideas — seemed hard. But over time she studied and learned all she needed to know.
“Now looking at it, I just did it,” she said. “It was hard at first, but after the Green Card everything went smoothly.”
Also at the ceremony were officials from the city’s Department of Recreation and Parks.
Originally Published:
