LOS ANGELES — In the scenic hills above Los Angeles, nine immigrants from countries ranging from Lebanon to Germany, Taiwan and Mexico took the oath to become new U.S. citizens during an outdoor naturalization ceremony with the Hollywood sign in the background.

As the U.S. presidential election approaches, many said voting was top of mind on their minds and they knew who they wanted to win the 2024 election. At the October ceremony, a French woman consulted the website to register to vote in California to ensure she could vote.

To become a naturalized U.S. citizen, immigrants must live in the United States on a green card in most cases for five years and pass English and civics tests.

Many said they hope to travel on a U.S. passport, participate in politics — and above all, feel like full members of the country they love and have called home for years.

Get the vote

Chia Hsin Tsai, 33, came to the United States from Taiwan 11 years ago to study her master’s degree. She is now a marketing executive in the food industry and applied to become a citizen in March, hoping to formalize how she felt about the United States.

She said she would definitely vote in the next presidential election, but declined to say for whom.

“Being part of the country I live in makes me feel special,” she said. “I live in this country. I can have the right to vote and everything.

Her boyfriend, Eric Boyce, said watching her worry about her visa expiring and working so hard to pursue her career was inspiring.

“She became an American not because she took an exam, but because she stayed here for 11 years and learned everything about the United States,” he said.

Have a voice

Floriane Turcat, 37, said that growing up in France, she was inspired by American film and television and hoped to one day become an actress.

Today, Turcat plays in cinema and on stage. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, a web developer.

As she stood in line waiting to be sworn in, Turcat checked the website to register to vote in California to make sure she would do so in time to vote in the presidential election. She said she wanted to vote for Vice President Kamala Harris because of her concern for women’s rights and reproductive rights, in particular.

“I want to be part of the political movement of this country,” Turcat said. “Even though California is a Democratic state, I want to be able to participate and have a voice and say that this is important to me. I want to defend my rights.

She said she applied for naturalization in July and was happy the process was completed quickly enough for her to register to vote.

“I’ve always been fascinated by this country,” said Turcat, who has lived in the United States for seven years. “For me it was the symbol of freedom. I just loved everything.

Embrace freedom of expression

Phoenix From Los Angeles Lopez Daal said he always wanted to become an American citizen. He said he believed in the country’s ideals, including freedom of speech, freedom of religion and the right to bear arms.

He said voting is not a major reason to become naturalized, but he hopes to be able to vote in the presidential election for former President Donald Trump.

The 31-year-old decorator came to the United States with his mother and sister from Venezuela when he was six years old.

Lopez Daal said he wouldn’t join any political party, but he believes Democrats have moved too far to the political left — something he said he’s also seen happen in his homeland.

“There was a time when Venezuela was a great country, and what the Democrats are doing is what led to the downfall of Venezuela. So I wouldn’t really want that to happen here,” he said.

Protect democracy

Dennis Beier, a 46-year-old German film producer, said he saw the United States as a place of freedom and opportunity when he grew up in Berlin.

He said he hopes to be able to vote in this year’s presidential election for Harris, largely because of concerns related to the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

“I just want to keep this whole democracy thing intact,” Beier said. “And people need to be respected when they lose, that’s part of the problem, and if you can’t do that, then you shouldn’t be in politics.”

Bejer said he has always loved the United States since his first visit to New York in 2001.

“It was kind of like a game, I was like ‘yeah, this is it,'” said Beier, who lives in Los Angeles.

Beier said he wanted to naturalize to join his American children and his Canadian wife, who recently became a U.S. citizen. He said he had previously waited for Germany to change its laws, making it easier to acquire additional citizenship.

“I am very happy that this day has finally come,” he said.

Follow @ktar923