Dallas, TX

‘Now this is my country, too’: Dallas gains over 200 new U.S. citizens in ceremony

Published

1 year ago

October 12, 2024

‘Now this is my country, too’: Dallas gains over 200 new U.S. citizens in ceremony

With tears in their eyes, 201 new U.S. citizens sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” at the student center building at UNT Dallas this month.

Person after person from one of more than 50 countries stood while the crowd clapped and cheered. More than 200 men and women took an oath of allegiance during a citizenship ceremony on Thursday afternoon at the student center building at UNT Dallas.

For some, the journey to U.S. citizenship has taken decades. Others started the process only months ago.

But the naturalization ceremony did more than transform their legal status, according to attendees. It ushered in a profound sense of security and belonging for them and their families.

“It was long for me since I became a permanent resident in 2017,″ said Marcel Stady, from Canada. “Just even having the ability to vote now and just feel more welcome now.”

Representatives from the consulates of Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, Canada, and Peru, along with various community leaders were in attendance to witness and support the naturalization ceremony.

“This is the biggest ceremony of naturalization that we have held in the university,” said Mara Queiroz Vaughn, a Spanish lecturer at UNT Dallas, who was appointed as one of eight citizenship ambassadors nationwide in 2022.

For some, the journey to U.S. citizenship was fraught with challenges.

Maria Idalia Martinez, from Guanajuato, Mexico, decided to gain her citizenship after spending 20 years as a permanent resident. She said she felt nervous at first but learned to prepare herself for the road ahead.

“I did it for my children and my grandchildren,” she said. “They have their roots here and they are not going back to Mexico. This is their country, and now this is my country, too.”

For Angelica Gonzales, from Mexico, the path to becoming a citizen was hard, battling stereotypes that people like her aren’t educated.

“Racism still exists to this day,” she said. “I think it is a privilege and honor to my family to have me as a citizen now because my parents are really humble.”

In 2017, Queiroz Vaughn and other community members created “Spanish in the Community,” a non-credit class at UNT Dallas, which helps people prepare for the citizenship process.

“We are launching for the first time that the program will become hybrid for those who can’t attend in person because of a job,” Vaughn said. “People can start with the non-credit class as soon as they are eligible for citizenship.”

Organizations such as The National Educational Service Centers, and Proyecto Inmigrante, among others, collaborate with Vaughn to make the classes free for residents.

UNT Dallas offers classes as part of the program to obtain a GED and learn English for professionals.

“For these classes, all that is needed is an identification card and a phone number,” said Vaughn.

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Dallas, TX

CGY@DAL Postgame: Wyatt Johnston | Dallas Stars

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4 hours ago

April 8, 2026

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CGY@DAL Postgame: Wyatt Johnston | Dallas Stars

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Dallas, TX

Scottish Rite Hospital Visit | Dallas Stars

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16 hours ago

April 7, 2026

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Scottish Rite Hospital Visit | Dallas Stars

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Dallas, TX

After deadly crash, loved one questions suspect’s actions at scene

Published

1 day ago

April 7, 2026

Press Room

After deadly crash, loved one questions suspect’s actions at scene

New arrest documents show an alleged drunk driver tried to flee the scene after a crash that killed two men in Dallas early Sunday morning.

Dallas police arrested 22-year-old Isaac Chacon and charged him with two counts of intoxication manslaughter and two counts of collision involving death. Investigators say he collided with another vehicle at Military Parkway and North Jim Miller Road just before 2 a.m.

One man died at the scene. Another died after being taken to a nearby hospital.

“I don’t think somebody should have lost their life for the price of an Uber. Just don’t drink and drive,” Monique Dawson said.

Dawson’s boyfriend, Orinthius Deante Brown, was one of the victims. She said they had been together for more than a decade.

A day after his death, Dawson reflected on their last conversation and one she wished they had.

“If you love somebody, talk to them because you never know when it’s going to be the last time. When I woke up Sunday morning, I had a couple of missed calls from him, and I just brushed it off like, I’ll just talk to him later. We’re gonna spend all day together. I don’t know if I’d be on the phone with him all day. I’m busy cooking and tired. I’m gonna talk to him next time, and it’s never going to be a next time. It’s never gonna be a next time, that’s it,” she said.

Dawson said Brown was a father of three who often helped others.

According to an arrest affidavit, Chacon tried to flee immediately after the crash, but witnesses detained him until police arrived.

“What if instead of trying to run away, he ran toward the people he hit and tried to help?” Dawson said.

Dawson said anything less than life behind bars would not provide justice for the victims’ loved ones.

“That was my person, and now he’s gone,” she said.

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