For Marilou “LuLu” Ranta, winning a James Beard award wasn’t nearly as exciting as the Friday morning she spent at the federal courthouse.
Ranta was one of 61 people from more than 21 countries who took an oath and became naturalized United States citizens at the U.S. District Court of Maine in Bangor during two ceremonies Friday morning.
Ranta, who was born in the Philippines, is the chef and owner of The Quarry in Monson. She won a prestigious James Beard Award for Outstanding Hospitality in 2023. Winning the award was awesome but becoming a U.S. citizen feels like winning the lottery, she said.
“No offense James Beard, but this tops everything.” Ranta said.
Ranta’s excitement shined throughout the courtroom during the ceremony, during which she waved a small American flag and bounced in her seat. Her excitement was so contagious that Chief Judge Lance Walker gave Ranta a “spirit award,” which he created on the spot.
Reservations at The Quarry are sold out Friday and Saturday, so Ranta and her husband planned to drive back to Monson after the ceremony to serve award-winning food to diners.
The process to become a naturalized citizen takes years and a lot of studying, said
Tega and Charles Chilwetalu, a wife and husband from Nigeria who took the Oath of Allegiance together.
Tega Chilwetalu moved to the United States in 2019, while pregnant with their younger daughter, Chioma, who is now 4 years old. Charles Chilwetalu and their eldest daughter, 6-year-old Kaine, moved six weeks later.
Tega and Charles Chilwetalu both said they were excited after the ceremony. The family was all smiles, with their daughters in matching red, white and blue dresses.
“Here today you remind us of the value of our own citizenship,” Walker said. “The history of the United States is, after all, a history of immigration. The United States is also a land of fresh starts.”
One of the most meaningful rights of a U.S. citizen is the ability to vote, Walker said. Members of the League of Women Voters were at the ceremony and to register the new citizens to vote.
“Citizenship is an action, so when you take action remember that America’s advantage is in the unity of a diverse people,” Walker said. “So please, share your art. Share your music, share your language, and especially, for me at any rate, share your recipes with your fellow Americans.”
