A woman stands between two children as the three join an audience in a citizenship oath at a naturalization ceremony at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach in Long Beach, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. Photo by John Donegan.

Ysabella Loyola sat in the front row of a small theater Tuesday in a blue and white dress, fidgeting with her little plastic American flag.

Minutes later, the Philippine-born girl stood up and sang the national anthem. This anthem, while small in comparison to past audiences at Dodger Stadium and the Crypto.com Arena, was special: It was her first as a U.S. citizen.

And her parents couldn’t be more proud. “To hear my daughter singing that national anthem … very, very honored,” said John Loyola.

She was one of more than 80 children from 26 nations who took the citizenship oath Tuesday in a naturalization ceremony at the Aquarium of the Pacific

The new citizens were sworn in by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Field Director Andrew Sanders, who told them that they were joining “the shared history” of America. Tying in a historical bit on Martin Luther King Jr., Sanders said it was paramount that people learn U.S. history, “so we don’t repeat the mistakes and evils of our past.”

“You are all great,” Sanders said in his conclusion. “You can all be great. And as you grow in this country as new citizens, you can make a difference.”

When it came time for the two-minute oath, most stood tall, some with their right hands raised almost too high. One girl in a sky-blue ruffle dress stared up as she mouthed the words.

While not the first ceremony of its kind for new citizens, it is for children and for Long Beach; officials previously handed out certificates in unceremonial fashion out of their office in Downtown Los Angeles.

Hand over heart, two sisters recite the Pledge of Allegiance in Long Beach, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. Photo by John Donegan.

More than 80,000 children have been approved for the N-600 citizenship application in fiscal year 2024, with another 42,000 pending.

These ceremonies are largely a formality, said Claire Nicholson with USCIS.

Lawful permanent residents, known as green card holders, are generally eligible to become naturalized citizens after having that status for at least five years, or if they have been married to a U.S. citizen for at least three years. Once they are naturalized, their children join them by default.

But that doesn’t mean it’s not important, she added, summing up the fete as a celebration of the family.

USCIS Field Director Andrew Sanders, who spoke of “the shared history” of America, tied the day to a story about Martin Luther King Jr. in Long Beach, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. Photo by John Donegan.

“All of their parents have studied and worked hard over the last three to five years to become naturalized citizens,” said Rachel Trias, the section chief with USCIS.

But for most, their children’s citizenship represented the final stride into their new homeland. Many present said there was importance to the symbolic statement of accepting citizenship. Others spoke briefly, but respectfully, of their native countries.

One woman, who began a free tour of the aquarium afterward, said she simply felt a little bit lighter.

John Loyola, who naturalized in 1995, said his daughter’s ceremony reminded him of when he took the oath years ago. He pointed to his 4-year-old daughter drawing with crayons at a table.

“She’s gonna be the next one to sing,” John Loyola said, with his wife adding, “It’s our dream for her to sing for the President.”

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Ysabella Loyola’s first name and her sister’s age.