Rockland County Clerk Paul Piperato administered the Oath of Allegiance to 150 new citizens from 44 countries at a naturalization ceremony on Friday at the Fire Training Center in Pomona. The largest numbers of new citizens hail from the Dominican Republic with 28, followed by Haiti with 18, and India with 17. Others came from Ecuador, the People’s Republic of China, Jamaica, the Philippines, United Kingdom and South Korea.
Rockland Supreme Court Judge Victor Alfieri officiated at the ceremony while Richard Vasquez served as the keynote speaker and organ transplant recipients Michael Prendergast and Lauren Shields spoke about the New York Organ Donor Network. Michael Mark performed several patriotic songs and led the audience in a sing-a-long.
The naturalization ceremony included from one to three new citizens hailing from: Afghanistan; Albania; Argentina; Belgium; Bulgaria; Canada; Chile, Columbia; Cuba; El Salvador; Eritrea; Ghana; Guatemala; Guyana; Hong Kong; Iran; Ireland; Israel; Lebanon; Mexico; Nigeria; Pakistan; Peru; Poland; Romania; Russia; Senegal; Sweden; Trinidad & Tobago; Turkey; Ukraine; United Arab Emirates; USSR; Vietnam; and Yugoslavia.
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