50 women celebrate International Women’s Day by becoming U.S. citizens

Two women share their path to citizenship

SAN ANTONIO – In observance of International Women’s Day, 50 women participated in Wednesday’s naturalization ceremony at city hall.

The women took their oaths of US citizenship at the ceremony hosted by the city along with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and the Federal District Court for the Western District.

Soni Barreiro, a dentist originally from Venezuela, said it was a truly momentous

“I’m very proud to be in this country. This country has done so much for me, and I’m very, very grateful to be here. So, it’s an honor,” said Barreiro.

Twenty-one-year-old Andrea Donatti says her path to citizenship has been challenging as she came to the U.S. from Venezuela at only 11 years old.

Now studying chemical engineering, Donatti says the U.S. offers opportunities that her home country doesn’t.

You don’t have the same advantages as you would have here in the United States. And that’s one of the things that I really appreciate about the United States. All the opportunities that they offer to any people” said Donatti.

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About the Author:

Jonathan Cotto is a reporter for KSAT’s Good Morning San Antonio. He’s a bilingual award-winning news reporter and he joined KSAT in 2021. Before coming to San Antonio, Cotto was reporting along the U.S.-Mexico border in South Texas. He’s a veteran of the United States Navy.