Thread: Immigrants Flocking to Take Citizenship Test

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Jul 04, 2006

Immigrants flocking to take citizenship test

By GIL KLEIN

Media General News Service

WASHINGTON - Who interprets the laws of the United States?

That question stumped Lucina Lonvera.

For a week, she had studied every one of the 100 questions that the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services had posted on its Web site. After spending 20 years in the United States, the Mexican native was eager to become a citizen.

Lonvera is one of hundreds of thousands of immigrants this year - more than 18,000 just around the Fourth of July holiday - who are taking the plunge to become full-fledged American citizens. CITIZENSHIP
To become an American citizen, an immigrant:
• Must have been a legal resident for five years. Shorter times are allowed for spouses of American citizens and active duty military.
• Must be of good moral character and have committed no major crimes. Must not be an habitual drunkard, not be involved in prostitution, not earn most of income from gambling, not have smuggled illegal aliens, not have practiced polygamy, not refused to support dependents or not have lied under oath to receive a government benefit.
• Must read, write, speak and understand words in ordinary English by being able to answer oral questions posed by an examiner and be able to write and read sentences. Exceptions are made for people who have lived in the United States for more than 15 years and are over 50, and for people with a medically certified impairment that prevents them from learning English.
• Must be able to answer in English a series of questions about the United States government. These are not multiple choice questions. The applicant must be able to provide the answer. People with a medically certified impairment that prevents them from learning U.S. history of civics are exempt.
• Take an oath of allegiance to support the Constitution, obey U.S. laws and renounce any foreign allegiance or title.
• Pay an application fee of $330 plus $70 for fingerprinting and a background check.


After declining in recent years, the number of immigrants choosing to become citizens is up about 15 percent to nearly 400,000 from October to April, the government says, compared to the same time period a year ago.

Three weeks ago, Lonvera faced a federal examiner who tested her knowledge.

"I was so nervous, the night before I couldn't sleep," said Lonvera, 36, a mother of three who lives in Midland, N.C., and lays carpeting and vinyl flooring for a living. "That morning I ate a little bit because I wasn't hungry."

What colors are the flag? Red, white and blue. She got that right.

Who was the first president? George Washington.

What do we celebrate on the Fourth of July? Independence Day.

But who interprets the laws of the United States? She said Congress. The answer was the Supreme Court.

It was the only civics question she got wrong out of six. The examiner congratulated her and gave her a certificate. A week later, on June 19, she officially became a U.S. citizen.

Some immigrant advocates say Congress -- by debating immigration reform and talking about a crack-down on illegal immigration - is prodding immigrants toward citizenship.

Across the country, immigrant advocacy groups are launching "Democracy Summer" to help qualified immigrants take the step. The groups issued a report Thursday saying nearly 9.5 million immigrants are eligible because they have been legal residents for more than five years.

"Many think it's too complicated or they don't think they can find help to do it," said Laura Ciudad of Communities for Comprehensive Immigration Reform of Charlotte, N.C. "They don't realize that being a voter gives them power."

For Lonvera, the message got through. She applied in March and three months later was a citizen - a much shorter wait than the average eight or nine months.

"We need to have a voice," she said. "We are not criminals. We want to work hard for this country."

In 2004, a total of 529,849 immigrants earned their citizenship while 102,126 were rejected.

Most candidates worry about the civics test and the English requirement, but the test trips up few. Most speak English well enough to satisfy the examiners, said Christopher Bentley, a spokesman for Citizenship and Immigration Services. Most of the rejects did not meet the qualifications for citizenship or had criminal records.

Anyone who fails the test has another chance to take it without reapplying, he said. And even those who fail twice can reapply for citizenship as often as necessary.

Now, the department is working on a test for use beginning in January 2008. That has immigrant advocates edgy.

"They're going to make it so difficult that only PhDs will be eligible," said Josh Hoyt, director of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights. "If you are a low-income immigrant with little education, that doesn't mean you won't be a good citizen. It just means you'll have trouble taking a test."

Bentley said the new test would not be more difficult, just different.

"Instead of having new citizens learn trivia like what are the colors of the flag, we want them to spend that same amount of energy learning useful things that will benefit them when they become citizens - the ideals and principles that shape our government," he said.

For Lonvera, the sleepless night and the sparse breakfast were unnecessary. The test, she said, was easy.

At the federal courthouse in Charlotte on June 19, she was surrounded by nearly 100 new citizens from the Philippines, China, Africa, Romania, as well as Mexico and Latin America. Together they renounced their allegiance to their homelands and promised to "support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States."

"I am so happy to be a USA citizen," she said. "I try to be a good citizen. I will be working hard."

It was the only civics question she got wrong out of six. The examiner congratulated her and gave her a certificate. A week later, on June 19, she officially became a U.S. citizen.

Six lousy question? Hmmm, you would think it would at least be more difficult than the written part of the drivers license test.