65 People Becoming Citizens on Fourth of July

While some celebrate Independence Day by waving American flags or hosting barbecues, others will take an oath of allegiance in downtown Tampa as they become citizens of the United States.

The Oath of Allegiance will be given to 65 citizenship candidates at the Tampa Bay History Center, with Mayor Bob Buckhorn providing remarks at the ceremony.

The 65 come from countries such as Guatemala, Ecuador and Egypt, according to city officials.

More than 7,800 candidates will become citizens at 100 ceremonies across the country held July 1 through July 5.

In addition, the use of social media is being encouraged for new citizens and their families, with officials asking them to share photos from the ceremony via Twitter with the hashtag #July4Natz.

For more information about the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Services, go to www.uscis.gov.

What do you think about the ceremony being held on the Fourth of July, or the use of social media at the ceremony? Tell us in the comments.