Mark your calendars for a meaningful Monday as Salt Lake County gears up to celebrate Welcoming Week 2025 with heartfelt pomp. The Utah Cultural Celebration Center will play host to a Proclamation Reading and Naturalization Ceremony on September 15, embracing approximately 90 individuals on their journey to U.S. citizenship, according to Salt Lake County.
Starting at 10 a.m., festivities will include the reading of the Welcoming Week Proclamation by Magna Mayor Eric Barney, endorsed by not just Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson but also neighboring mayors committed to fostering a spirit of inclusion. In a display of local commitment, a resource fair and cultural celebrations will follow what promises to be an emotive naturalization ceremony, where new Americans embark on their epochal step into citizenship, as part of the event's heartfelt run-of-show.
Salt Lake County details a lineup of speakers and performers that includes Salt Lake County Treasurer Sheila Srivastava as emcee and Councilmember Carlos A. Moreno. Supportive voices from the educational sector, civic leaders, and local cultural talent will grace the stage, including representatives from Utah International Charter School and the National Tongan American Society.
Ahead of the ceremony, Joseph Genda, Salt Lake County's New American and Refugee Liaison, has been orchestrating efforts with community organizations in the valley, revealing the determination embedded within the community to stand as a united front welcoming new citizens. Echoing this sentiment, the Welcoming Week initiative has its roots in a global campaign that aims to bring neighbors together to affirm foundational values of connection and acceptance. Michael Crabtree, Field Director for the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), is among the distinguished guests contributing to the ceremony's structured conversations about belonging, per the county's proclamation.
