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Ramon Hababag Taroy, second from right, from the Philippines, takes the oath of citizenship with other new Americans at the Main Toledo-Lucas County Public Library.
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36 are 'aliens' no longer

The Blade/Lori King

36 are 'aliens' no longer

Brigitte Honigfort has lived in the United States for more than 25 years.

She graduated from a U.S. high school, pays U.S. taxes, married a U.S. citizen, and has given birth to three American children.

But until yesterday, the 43-year-old German native was not an American citizen.

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"It was always something I wanted to do, but I just kept putting it off and putting it off," said Mrs. Honigfort, who credits the friendly teasing of friends and co-workers with helping motivate her through the citizenship process.

"I kind of got tired of being called an alien," she said.

Mrs. Honigfort was one of 36 immigrants from 18 countries who yesterday pledged "to support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America" during a naturalization ceremony in the McMaster Center in the Main Toledo-Lucas County Public Library, 325 Michigan St.

The ceremony was led by U.S. District Court Judge Jack Zouhary, and included the National Anthem and Pledge of Allegiance by children from Sacred Heart School in East Toledo and Sylvania Franciscan Academy.

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Speakers included Guillermo "Bill" Rojas, 35, an assistant U.S. attorney, and his wife, Merissa Rojas, 31, a native of Singapore who became a U.S. citizen last fall.

The couple met while students at Ohio State University and now live in Perrysburg with their two young children.

"In the United States, immigrants are not foreigners," said Mr. Rojas, himself the son of a Peruvian immigrant. "Rather, they are family, friends, and fellow Americans. You allow us to look past labels like national origin, race, religion, or ethnicity, and see others as human beings in need of compassion and love."

Four adult children of the Moussa family - Inaya, Wassim, Mohamad, and Afif - also took their citizenship oaths yesterday.

The eldest, Afif Moussa, 27, who recently purchased the Sylvania Diner, said that he, his sister, and two brothers all immigrated from Lebanon in 2002, and now live with their parents in one large house in West Toledo.

Mr. Moussa's favorite aspects of America, he said, are the relative safety here and a national culture that rewards ambition and hard work.

"This is the best day of my life," he said.

Those who were naturalized and their countries of origin were:

Afghanistan - Salmenna Faqir Muhammad Sedique.

Bangladesh - Ummay Uddin.

China - Linda Chen and Ping Peter Liang.

Germany - Brigitte Honigfort.

Greece - Eleni Elmer and Vassiliki Leonardou Leontis.

Guatemala - Luz Emilia Mendizabal.

Iraq - Mashad Al-Allaf.

Jamaica - Monica Marjorie Reid and Beverly Ika Vaz.

Jordan - Ghassan Mohd Abdel Karim.

Laos - Paeng Champada and Amy Jiam Khamhaeng.

Lebanon - Khaled Kais Elabyad, Isaac Wafic Hawari, Hamdi Fawzat Kassem, Afif Ibrahim Moussa, Inaya Ibrahim Moussa, Mohamad Ibrahim Moussa, and Wassim Ibrahim Moussa.

Mexico - David Carlos Flores Aguilera, Dora Elia Hernandez, Maria Guadalupe Hinojosa, Zulema Guzman Rodriguez, and Juan Jose Silva.

Peru - Luisa Maria Hamilton.

Philippines - Gladys Mendoza Micua, Grezen Mendoza Micua, Perlita Hunale Olmo, Haide Yosores Sauber, and Ramon Hababag Taroy.

Syria- Xansa Showish Abbas.

Taiwan- Fu Miou Liu.

Thailand - Worada Beau Lehman.

United Kingdom - Roderick James Maclachlan.

First Published December 15, 2007, 11:49 a.m.

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Ramon Hababag Taroy, second from right, from the Philippines, takes the oath of citizenship with other new Americans at the Main Toledo-Lucas County Public Library.  (The Blade/Lori King)  Buy Image
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