Groton —  Narjis Kyne of Vernon lived in fear for a very long time. That fear floated away Friday as she became one of 19 new citizens of the United States.

"I didn't know what I was going to be doing after high school," she said. "What college was I going to go to? I was afraid I was going to get deported, to be honest. So I was scared all the time."

As Kyne explained, the path to citizenship is one of a lot of paperwork, the tiniest of details, multiple visits to the immigration office, many questions, getting the money together — and time.

"It was a lot," Kyne recalled after the special judicial ceremony, which was held just in front of the Historic Ship Nautilus at the Submarine Force Library and Museum.

Those who became citizens are either in the military or are family member of someone in the military. The flags of their home countries and the flag of their new home, the United States, blew in the wind as they were joined by family and friends.

The 19 new citizens originally came from Brazil, China, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Estonia, Germany, Guatemala, Italy, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Panama, Philippines, Poland, Romania and the United Kingdom.

U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, was the guest speaker at the event.

"It is fitting that these 19 military members and military family members were welcomed as citizens today in front of the USS Nautilus," Courtney said. "Hyman Rickover, the father of the nuclear Navy, emigrated to the U.S. from Poland before becoming one of the most influential officers the Navy has ever known. The men and women who join our country as citizens today follow in a strong tradition of service, and I am proud to welcome them."

Twenty nine-year-old Kyne was born in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, and came to the United States at the age of 4.

"I just feel safer and happier. I've been waiting for this for a long time," she said.

Her husband, Staff Sgt. Eryc Kyne, is in the U.S. Marine Corps. He is originally from West Hartford.

"It was great because I know she's been waiting for this for such a long time," he said. "We've been really doing a lot of work for it."

The couple will soon be moving from Vernon to New York, where Eryc Kyne, a saxophone player in the Marines, will be holding auditions for the Marine Corps Band.

Narjis Kyne's parents, Zahra and Mian Hasan, originally from Lahore, Pakistan, were in Groton to see their daughter become a U.S. citizen. Zahra Hasan is a naturalized citizen and Mian Hasan is currently in the process.

"I'm very grateful to be here," Zahra Hasan said. "I can do so much. I am doing so much by moving to the states." 

As for her daughter's new status, she said, "I'm so happy that this happened to her. That's what you want, for your child to be safe."

Zahra Hasan was in her 20s when she moved to the U.S. She and Mian came here for her children, she said, "to give them a better life, education, safety." The couple has two daughters and two sons.

Before moving here, Zahra Hasan said, she'd never spoken with a man outside of her family members.

"Now I work. I've been a manager. I have done a lot in my life. I took care of my children. It's been difficult, hard, but a good journey," she said.

The couple said they never considered moving to any other country.

"No," Mian Hasan said, when asked, "because Kennedy was my hero."

Hasan moved to the states, his wife explained, "because he wanted to live in Kennedy's country. He loved Kennedy so much." His love of Kennedy came from his father.

Now that she's a citizen, Narjis Kyne said, the next stop is to get her passport and start traveling.

"Now she can go anywhere she wants," Zahra Hasan said.

j.bergman@theday.com

Twitter: @JuliaSBergman