Manjula Nagaraja knew nothing of the Cleveland Cultural Gardens when she and her newlywed husband arrived for her naturalization Aug. 28, 2016.
The 32-year-old was simply reporting to the address mailed to her.
“We were like, ‘This is the wrong place, right?’ ” she recalls.
A pulmonary and critical care fellow at University Hospitals, Nagaraja found herself at a special citizenship ceremony, a highlight of One World Day. It included a welcome by Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson and a parade of cultures with participants in traditional dress.
When she arrived from India with her family at age 9, Nagaraja was surprised by America’s cultural diversity and its sense of independence. It was so different from her close-knit community back home.
But soon, that diversity made her realize there was a place for her too.
“One World Day, that’s what it’s all about!” she says. “This really does feel like home.”
Getting Naturalized at One World Day Makes a Mark
India native Manjula Nagaraja felt welcomed into the country and Cleveland at last year’s ceremony.
