YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK — “I moved to America on August 15, 2015, and it was a challenge at first,” said Tomas Perez. He is from Panama, where he lived for 25 years until making the move to America — a move he says wasn’t easy.
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“The first thing you have to do is learn the language. I did it by myself. And then I tried to find a job according to my qualities and skills,” said Perez.
Hard work led Perez to his career as a locomotive engineer in Billings. Now, he’s made many friends who introduced him to the ways of Montana: fishing, camping, rafting — and?
“Go Cats!” said Perez.
Last February, Tomas applied to become a U.S. citizen. After months of interviews and studying hard for the naturalization test, Tomas can finally say he is a U.S. citizen.
“How does it feel?” I asked. “It feels good,” Perez told me. “Sacrifices had to be made to achieve the goals that you want. I think it paid off, and now I’m just building my future from here on.”
Perez isn’t the only one with a story like this. On Thursday morning at Arch Park, just outside Yellowstone National Park, 41 people had their lives changed forever as they became U.S. citizens.
Since 2006, U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services, the National Park Service, and other organizations have hosted special naturalization ceremonies at national parks across the country.
Thursday’s ceremony welcomed people from more than 20 countries. But for some folks like Justine, she didn’t have to travel far.
“I work for Gallatin County in the finance department,” Justine Swanson told me, “and I’ve been with the county in various roles for 13 years.”
Justine is originally from eastern Canada but has built a life here in Montana.
She wanted to become a U.S. citizen so she could be an American just like her husband and three boys.
She’s also looking forward to one thing in particular: “Vote. It’s one of the bigger ones.”
For folks like the Conde family — two sisters and a son from the Philippines — citizenship has been a long time coming.
“My mom has been working, especially for me, to get us citizenship for about eight years now,” said son Liam Conde.
The Condes first moved to America 17 years ago.
“We came here especially to give him a better life,” said mom Liberty Conde.
When the ceremony began, the Conde family, along with 41 other people, read the Oath of Allegiance, officially becoming U.S. citizens. For many, it was an emotional experience.
“This is a lifelong dream for our family, for our dad who’s already in heaven, and I’m holding his favorite watch right here,” said sister Minerva Conde as she showed me her father’s Citizen watch.
“For our friends and the people who helped me reach this far — it was really worth the wait,” added Liberty.
