Wissam Farhat, originally from Lebanon, waits in line for his certificate after yesterday’s citizenship ceremony at the Roger Williams National Memorial, in Providence.

The Providence Journal / Andrew Dickerman

PROVIDENCE — Almost 400 years after Roger Williams established a new colony by a freshwater spring along what is now North Main Street, 51 people from 24 nations gathered in the same spot yesterday to become some of the nation’s newest citizens.

Maria Medeiros, 49, of Johnston, who arrived here from Portugal 40 years ago, was among the earliest arrivals. A housekeeper at Butler Hospital for 20 years, she took a seat in the second row of white folding chairs aligned in the shade at the Roger Williams National Memorial.

America long ago became her country, the country she loves, where she raised her family. “It starts to bother you,” she said, when your devotion to a place is not officially noted somewhere; when you can not participate in its democracy.

A moment later came Melvin Salguoro, 37, who took his place two seats from Medeiros. He came to Rhode Island 16 years ago from Guatemala, a Central American country then ravaged by civil war. A machine operator from North Kingstown, he fled his homeland fearing he would die like thousands of others caught up in the violence.

“I came here and this country said, ‘welcome,’ ” he said. “You ask me why I came to this country and I will tell you I would give my life for this country.”

Along came Wissam Farhat, 36, of Warwick, dressed in a gray suit and a tie replicating the American flag. A jewelry store manager, Farhat arrived from Lebanon six years ago. He sat beside Salguoro as his wife, Lori, snapped one picture after another of her proud husband.

“I belong to this country now,” said Farhat. “My life is here, my wife is here, my work is here. Everything is here. And I’m glad.”

They came from Myanmar, South Africa, Mexico and Italy. They came from Senegal, Angola, India and the Dominican Republic, too, just to name a few.

One day before the nation celebrated its 232nd birthday, these people, many of them already living the American dream, became the newest invited guests to the party.

“I’m so happy, you don’t know,” Medeiros said.

U.S. District Court Magistrate Lincoln D. Almond swore in the new citizens, leading them in the “oath of allegiance” as they renounced all allegiances to their old country and swore to defend the Constitution and the laws of the United States “against all enemies, foreign and domestic… .”

Almond told them that citizenship was a privilege that unfortunately some people take for granted. He urged them to become active participants in democracy, reminded them that America was a land of immigrants and encouraged them to learn the legacy of Roger Williams, who founded Rhode Island as a refuge for those seeking religious freedom.

Almond said Williams, like many immigrants today, “was threatened with deportation [in the Massachusetts Bay Colony], something we hear a lot about these days.”

Williams, Almond said, fought the notion that a government could tell its people what religion to practice and what to think. “Roger Williams stood for what we call the liberty of conscience … and it is up to all of us to defend it.”

Several of the new citizens, such as Israel Reyes, 23, of the Dominican Republic, said they sought citizenship now because of the heated controversy the immigration debate has spurred this year in Rhode Island.

“I heard it was going to become more difficult later so I wanted to do it now,” said Reyes, a delivery truck driver.

There was that other reason, too.

“I want a boat.” And that means registering a boat.

Dreaming the American dream.

tmooney@projo.com