Children Take The U.S. Oath At Zoo Miami

MIAMI (CBS4) - Anna Bensoussan has a knack with languages. She can speak four of them: French, English, Dutch, and Spanish.  You wouldn't know it by listening to her, but Anna is French and English is her fourth language.

"When I was 7, I came here. I didn't know English. I learned English in 4 months," Anna said.

Originally from Paris, Anna may not have been born in the United States, but on Tuesday she could officially call herself an American. She along with 19 other children received their citizenship. Anna followed in her parents footsteps, her mother became a citizen last week.

Anna's mother Petra said she came to the U.S. for all the opportunities it offered, much same as Arianis Blanco's mother, Selma, who decided to leave their native country of Venezuela.

"They have a better future," Selma said.

"This country is one of the best in the world, I'd rather be here than in Venezuela," Arianis said.

Jaime Padin's parents sacrificed everything to give him a better future out of communist Cuba.

"They wanted me to have a future to become something important," Padin said.

The 19 children who were sworn in as U.S citizens did so surrounded by lions, tigers and bears at Zoo Miami; this was the second year the event was held at the zoo.

For all those who took the oath and their families, the sentiment was the same.

"We came here, like a young new married couple, with two kids and started a new life and it's the best thing we did in life," said Petra Bensoussan.