LEWISTON — Thiago Goes earned the right to vote Friday. The local father of two became a U.S. citizen at a ceremony held at the Lewiston Public Library.

Goes was one of 38 immigrants who, with right hands raised, were sworn in by Cindy Lembarra, an immigration services officer, who administered the oath of allegiance at the naturalization ceremony.

Goes, a business analyst at TD Bank, has held that job for about 10 years, he said. He arrived in Florida from Brazil on July 4, 2000, when he was 20 years old.

“Since they had fireworks when I came in and every year after that they kept having fireworks, I decided to stay,” he said. “I came for the summer and saw the opportunities and everything about this country and fell in love right away.”

He moved to Lewiston 10 years ago, where he met his wife.

“It’s just a fantastic feeling,” to be a citizen of this country, he said. “It’s a new life, right? Coming 15 years ago, I already had the opportunity to build a better life from where we came from and the security. Now this feels complete. It’s a new chapter and I just can’t wait to vote. That’s my big thing. My wife always voted by herself. Now I actually get to go with her.”

Emmanuel Boss and his wife, Lee Karp-Boss, drove here from Orono, where both teach marine science at the University of Maine. He is Israeli and French, he said. She is from Israel.

Their three children were born in the United States. A son, who is studying advanced placement history in high school, helped them study for the citizenship test.

Although they had lived in Orono for more than a decade and in other states before that, they decided it was time to become American citizens.

Boss said he not only wants to be able to vote, he wants to participate in his community by serving on local government boards and committees.

For Jefferyton Bailey, who came to the United States from Jamaica more than 20 years ago, citizenship means greater opportunity.

Bailey, who lives locally, works as a welder.

He said Friday he’s proud to be an American and hopes his newfound citizenship will open doors for him professionally.

Joyce Gibson, dean of the University of Southern Maine’s Lewiston-Auburn College, addressed the standing-room-only group.

Gibson said she grew up in Mississippi in a family that participated in the civil rights movement. Her mother told her and her siblings, “You cannot judge on accent, color, class, where they come from,” she said. “You must seek to discern the heart of every person you meet.”

Some of the new citizens dressed in the native attire of the land they left, such as hijabs and kufis; others wore Western garb.

They immigrated from 14 countries, including Azerbaijan, Canada, Central African Republic, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, France, Iraq, Slovakia, Somalia, United Kingdom and Zimbabwe. They now live in Auburn, Bath, Lewiston, Mechanic Falls, Newry, Orono, Portland, Saco and Skowhegan.

The Maine Music Society Chorale, formerly the Androscoggin Chorale, sang the national anthem, “My County ‘Tis of Thee” and “This Land is Your Land,” the final tune turning into a sing-along with the crowd.

cwilliams@sunjournal.com

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