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Thursday, July 5, 2007

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LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- They came not for Space Mountain or pictures with Mickey Mouse but to raise their right hands and take an oath of citizenship.

Roughly 1,000 people from around the globe celebrated the Fourth of July Wednesday by becoming U.S. citizens at Walt Disney World.

U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez spoke to the cheering, flag-waving crowd, and singer Gloria Estefan sang the national anthem in a ceremony before Cinderella's castle at the Magic Kingdom. Lee Greenwood closed the hour-long event with "God Bless the USA" as fireworks brightened a rainy, gray morning sky.

Then the new citizens joined Disney's parade down Main Street U.S.A.

The youngest was 11-month-old Sofia Costa, a Guatemalan native just adopted. She wore a red polka dot hat and shyly stayed in her parents' arms.

"It's an amazing memory for her. One day when we talk about the whole journey - when she was born to where she is - it'll be an amazing piece to be able to share with her," Sofia's mother Heather Costa said.

Some 4,000 people were expected to become citizens in events across the country Wednesday.

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At Disney, it took more than three minutes just to read aloud the names of all the participants' home countries. Among them: Bangladesh, The Democratic Republic of Congo, Iran, Hungary, Mexico and Switzerland.

Each participant could bring up to four family members to spend the day for free at Disney.

Rain started just as the oath finished, but Disney workers quickly passed out Mickey slickers, and the ceremony continued without interruption.

Martinez told the crowd of his own experience as an immigrant. The first Cuban-American to become a U.S. senator, he recalled arriving in Florida from the island nation at age 15.

"When I took my oath, it wasn't this kind of beautiful setting. We didn't have fireworks on that morning. Gloria Estefan didn't sing for me," Martinez said. "So you need to remember this day as a very, very, special day, a special day in which you became an American citizen."

Martinez encouraged the crowd to become involved in the community by volunteering or serving on a jury.

The new Americans repeated in unison an oath read by Emilio Gonzalez, head of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. In it, they promised to leave behind any allegiance to their home countries and to support the United States - even bearing arms if necessary.

Marta Hima, who came from Colombia and now lives in Davenport, Fla., got goosebumps.

"I dreamed for this moment for 13 years, and finally this is my last dream that I have," she said. "All my dreams come true in this country. All the things I have in this country I never had in mine."

© 2007 Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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