Families and friends sat in the back of the room, arms stretched high to try to get their cameras above the heads of other onlookers as their loved ones stood one-by-one announcing their names and home countries before taking oaths that would make them United States citizens.
About 100 people from 37 countries took their oaths of allegiance to the United States on Tuesday at the Old State House Museum in Little Rock.
It marked the first time a naturalization ceremony has happened at the museum, according to a news release from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
The ceremony was at the museum to accommodate the larger crowd. When ceremonies are in the Memphis office, about 50 people usually participate, said Sharon Scheidhauer, a public affairs officer for immigration services.
"We're always looking to bring our naturalization ceremonies out in the public," Scheidhauer said.
Gov. Asa Hutchinson spoke to the crowd and encouraged them to vote in the coming election.
"I would encourage each of you to participate in our democracy -- to vote, to learn and to give back to this great country, which you have embraced today," Hutchinson said.
The youngest of the group, Eduardo Flores, 19, from Mexico said he looked forward to voting for the first time in November. He moved to the United States with his parents when he was 2.
"I always felt I was a part of this place," he said.
Flores said the process to become a citizen took almost a year, including the time he spent studying for the 100-question test.
His parents and three younger sisters -- Ivette, 12; Gabriela, 7; and Yesenia, 5 -- sat in the back row. When he walked back to join them, Gabriela and Yesenia ran to hug him and hang from his arms, jumping up and down with excitement.
"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh," Gabriela squealed.
Martin Flores, the children's father, came to the United States to give his family a better life. He was a farmworker in Mexico and now works at an eye-care clinic.
"I love the United States," he said. "It has opportunity for my family."
His wife, Gabriela, spends her days caring for Ivette, who is disabled.
Eduardo Flores graduated from Little Rock Central High School and hopes to attend Pulaski Technical College. He has not chosen a major but is considering becoming an engineer or a forensic nurse.
"Today is very happy," Gabriela Flores said.
Once paperwork is submitted, it usually takes about five months for it to be reviewed, Scheidhauer said.
Last year marked the lowest number of people to go through this process and obtain their citizenship since 2004. About 730,000 took their oaths last year, and almost 655,000 did in 2014, according to data from immigration services.
About 2,000 of those were Arkansas residents, according to the news release.
Almost 5 percent of Arkansas residents are foreign-born, according to the most recent data from the United States Census Bureau.
The Flores family members said they liked living in Little Rock and have already started working on becoming a family of U.S. citizens.
The next step for the family is for Gabriela and Martin to become citizens, Gabriela Flores said. She said they have already started preparing for the test, and Eduardo said his parents will submit their applications next month.
Metro on 07/27/2016