How immigrants who just became U.S. citizens plan to vote in the 2024 election

LOS ANGELES — In the scenic hills above Los Angeles, nine immigrants from countries ranging from Lebanon to Germany to Taiwan and Mexico took the oath to become new American citizens in an outdoor naturalization ceremony with the Hollywood sign as a backdrop.

With the US presidential election Many said the vote was an issue for them and that they knew who wanted to win the 2024 election. A woman from France accessed the website at the October ceremony to register to vote in California and ensure she could cast her ballot.

In most cases, to become a naturalized American citizen, immigrants must live in the United States for five years with a green card and pass English and citizenship exams.

Many said they hoped to travel with an American passport, participate in political life – and, above all, feel like they are full members of the country they love and have called home for years.

Obtain the right to vote

Chia Hsin Tsai, 33, came to the United States from Taiwan 11 years ago to get her master’s degree. Now a marketing manager in the food industry, she applied for citizenship in March, hoping to formally express her views on the United States

She said she would definitely vote in the upcoming presidential election, but declined to say for whom.

“Becoming a part of the country I live in makes me feel special,” she said. “I live in this country. I can have the right to vote and everything.”

Her friend Eric Boyce said it was inspiring to see her worrying about her visa expiring and working so hard to continue her career.

“She became an American not because she took a test, but because she was here for 11 years and learned everything about the United States,” he said.

Have a voice

Floriane Turcat, 37, said growing up in France she was inspired by American films and television and hoped to one day become an actress.

Now Turcat plays in films and on stage. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, a web developer.

As she stood in line waiting to take her oath, Turcat accessed the website to register to vote in California to ensure she made it on time to cast her vote in the presidential election. She said she wanted to vote for it Vice President Kamala Harris excessive concern for women’s rights and particularly reproductive rights.

“I want to be part of the political movement of this country,” Turcat said. “Even though California is a Democratic state, I want to be able to participate, have a voice and express that I care. I want to stand up for my rights.”

She said she applied for naturalization in July and was glad the process was completed quickly enough for her to register as a voter.

“I have always been fascinated by this country,” said Turcat, who has lived in the United States for seven years. “For me it was the symbol of freedom. I just loved everything about it.”

Promote free expression

Phoenix De Los Angeles Lopez Daal said he always wanted to become an American citizen. He said he believes in the country’s ideals, including freedom of speech, freedom of religion and the right to bear arms.

He said voting is not an important reason for naturalization, but he hopes to cast a vote for the former in the presidential election President Donald Trump.

The 31-year-old set designer came to the United States from Venezuela with his mother and sister when he was six years old.

Lopez Daal said he would not align himself with any political party, but he felt Democrats had moved too far to the left – something he said he had also seen in his home country.

“There was a time when Venezuela was a great country, and the actions of the Democrats led to the downfall of Venezuela. So I wouldn’t really want this to be a thing,” he said.

Protect democracy

Dennis Beier, a 46-year-old film producer from Germany, said he saw the United States as a place of freedom and opportunity while growing up in Berlin.

He said he hoped he could vote for Harris in this year’s presidential election, particularly because of concerns surrounding the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

“I just want this whole democracy thing to stay intact,” Beier said. “And people have to have respect when they lose, that’s part of it, and if you can’t do that, you shouldn’t be in politics.”

Bejer said he has always liked the United States since his first visit to New York in 2001.

“It was like a match, I thought, ‘Yeah, this is it,'” said Beier, who lives in Los Angeles.

Beier said he wanted to naturalize to join his American children and his Canadian wife, who recently became a U.S. citizen. He said he had previously waited until Germany changed its laws to make it easier to accept additional citizenship.

“I’m very happy that it’s finally here,” he said.