Governor Mills Welcomes Immigrants to Maine at NAACP’s 38th annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Observance in Portland

Remarks by Governor Mills

The other day I attended a Naturalization ceremony here in Portland, at King Middle School. Forty-six individuals of all ages, religions and races – men and women and young people – from 31 different countries – from Canada to Angola – took the complicated oath to become United States citizens.

Some came from comfortable homes in democratic countries. Others escaped war, tyranny and abuse.

Now they are all our neighbors, friends and coworkers. The live and work in nearly all the counties of Maine. They are raising their families and going to school here and offering their talents and expertise to a state that badly needs them.

Dr. King I think would welcome them. And he would tell us to love them just as we love our neighbors who have been here for decades, those who have lived here for centuries, just as we love and respect our indigenous friends who were here before that.

“ Let us all hope that the dark clouds of racial prejudice will soon pass away and the deep fog of misunderstanding will be lifted…”

– Martin Luther King, Jr.