It's official: Jose Fernandez celebrates becoming a U.S. citizen

Jose Fernandez was born in Cuba on July 31, 1992. Roughly 23 years later, on April 24, 2015, the Marlins ace became a United States citizen.

Fernandez's citizenship became official on Friday with a ceremony held by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration services, during which the pitcher gave a keynote address:

It was a memorable non-baseball moment as Fernandez continues to work toward a post-Tommy John surgery return.

"It was a dream. It was really important to me and my family. I appreciate this amazing country and I respect it," Fernandez told MLB.com's Joe Frisaro. "I think it's an honor to be an American citizen."

No word yet on whether or not Fernandez submitted this clip as part of his citzenship application:

Officially a U.S. citizen! Congratulations, José! pic.twitter.com/C4AwO43Ug1

- Miami Marlins (@Marlins) April 24, 2015