America welcomes 100 new citizens in Laveen

LAVEEN, Ariz. (KSAZ) - Today, 100 people from around the globe pledged themselves to a new life, a life dedicated to the United States of America.

"They're from everywhere," Maria Upson said.

For some, it was a long time coming.

"I feel I am part of this culture, part of this society and it's always been my goal to become part of the society, part of the community here, so that's why I decided to become an American citizen," Ozgar Mizmonth said.

Subodh Battina from India tells us he couldn't be more proud to represent the stars and stripes.

"The open culture and people around, happy-go-lucky types and hardworking and plenty of opportunity," he said. "I love this country."

Subodh says he promises to never take his citizenship for granted.

"Compared to, all said and done, other countries, there's a lot more acceptance and tolerance here," he said. "I love all those aspects of it."

Ozgar from Hungary says although challenging at times, it was well worth the wait, and passing the citizenship test made him more confident in himself.

"I was a little bit nervous, but I studied very hard for it, so it was straight forward," he said. "It was relatively easy and I felt great to pass the test."

Now more than ever, especially during Constitution week, the words "We the people," carry a lot of weight.

"This is a dream come true for a lot of them," Maria said.