Thread: PA-Immigrants find test help

Immigrants find test help

CitizensVoice.com
By Mia Light, Staff Writer
Published: August 17, 2009

Some of the questions on the U.S. citizenship test might stump many natural-born American citizens.

For people who were not born in America and do not speak American English as their native language, the test can be doubly daunting.

In an effort to help local immigrants realize the dream of becoming U.S. citizens, the Concerned Parents of the Hazleton Area is helping citizen-hopefuls prepare for the naturalization exam, which includes an oral interview and evaluation of the immigrant's comprehension of fundamental concepts of American democracy and the rights and responsibilities of citizenship.

According to Eugenio Sosa, president of the Concerned Parents, the current class is a pilot project offered in response to numerous requests for help and guidance from local immigrants who want to successfully complete the journey to American citizenship but do not know where to begin or what to expect.

"Many people are looking for that help," Sosa said. "One woman told me she wants to take the test but doesn't know how to prepare. Another woman said she took the test and failed because she didn't know she was going to be required to write a sentence in English. She wasn't prepared for that and she failed."

To launch the pilot program, Sosa secured the volunteer assistance of Linda Morris, a high school Spanish instructor in the Greater Nanticoke Area School District. Morris is facilitating the five-session workshop on Monday evenings in one of Luzerne County Community College's classrooms in the Broad Street Business Exchange, where Concerned Parents also has its offices.

"What is an amendment?" Morris asks the class of about 15 students, a mix of men and women who range in age from early 20s to mid-60s.

She guides the class in Spanish, then effortlessly switches her dialogue to English in an effort to familiarize the students with pronunciation of the questions and answers in the language of the test.

Morris hesitates to call the session a "class."

"It's more of a workshop to help them prepare for the test," Morris said. "We go over the three-part format of the test so they know what to expect. We played 'Jeopardy' in Spanish using American history questions. We work on reading and pronunciation."

In a final part of the workshop, Morris said she will assist the students in filling out the federal government's 11-page application to take the citizenship test.

"Those who feel ready to take the test and have the application fee, I will help them fill out the application," Morris said.

The fee to take the citizenship test is $595 plus an additional "biometrics" fee of $80 for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to obtain the applicant's fingerprints, photograph and signature.

According to Sosa, the citizenship test for immigrants living in the Hazleton area are administered at the Immigration Services' field office in Philadelphia.

To be eligible for naturalization, an immigrant must be able to read, write and speak basic English, and must have basic knowledge of U.S. history and government.

During the examination interview, an officer of the Citizenship and Immigration Services tests the immigrant's ability to read, write and speak English, tests knowledge of civics, and asks the applicant to read up to three sentences in English and write up to three dictated sentences in English. The oral portion of the test includes up to 10 questions from an official list of 100 possible questions.

With a lively, animated demeanor, Morris coaches the students.

Sosa said the Concerned Parents will continue offering the workshop for immigrants in the Hazleton area if there is sufficient public interest. He also hopes to secure some funding to pay the instructor.

"I am afraid I am taking advantage of Linda (Morris) by asking her to teach the class for free. But she thanked me for the opportunity to practice her language skills," Sosa said. "Right now everything is free but it's limited. We really appreciate those who volunteer."

mlight@standardspeaker.com, 570-455-3636

http://www.citizensvoice.com/news/immig ... bled=false

Another woman said she took the test and failed because she didn't know she was going to be required to write a sentence in English. She wasn't prepared for that and she failed."

I assume this brainiac thinks we only speak, read and write Spanish in this country!