Estuardo Garcia, who has been reporting for The Mirror since February, was one of 100 people sworn in as a new citizen of the United States at a ceremony in Lawrence. Also sworn in with Estuardo on Monday were his father, Hector, and sister, Aida.

The Garcias came to the United States in the 1980s as political refugees seeking asylum from their native Guatemala, which was immersed in a civil war.

The relocation wasn’t easy, but the Garcias persevered. Hector, Estuardo, and Aida all earned degrees at Kansas University.

Estuardo’s mother and another sister became citizens earlier this year. So now all of the Garcias are citizens of the United States, afforded all of the rights and guarantees of our Constitution.

And that’s worth celebrating.