Thread: The Dumbing Down of the Citizenship Exam

Below is a transcript from the Dec. 6th Lou Dobbs show:


Still ahead here, you won't believe how easy it has become for immigrants to pass the U.S. citizenship test. Now some want to take steps to make that test a lot easier. And that will have significant consequences. We'll have the special report for you.

And how illegal aliens and other non-citizens in this country are new influencing the outcome of almost every election in this country.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) DOBBS: Tonight, the test immigrants take in order to become American citizens could soon undergo a major overhaul. Citizenship officials acknowledge the test is nothing more than a memorization game that almost everyone passes. But others are warning that any changes to that test could make it easier, imagine that, to pass.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Alfonso Aguilar says he wants to make America's citizenship test more meaningful. But the man who runs Citizenship and Immigration Services was careful, careful to say he doesn't want to make the test any harder.

ALFONSO AGUILAR, CITIZENSHIP & IMMIGRATION SVCS.: And just by having a harder exam, what would that prove? You could have people who have more education passing the harder exam and having no attachment to the country.

ROMANS: At best, the current test is an exercise in memorizing trivia. Questions like, "What are the colors of our flag?" "Who said, 'Give me liberty or give me death?'" Trivia with a hint of government bureaucracy. "What USCIS form is used to apply to become a citizen?"

To show basic English skills, immigrants must read aloud one sentence and write another. Sentences like, "Today is a sunny day. The boy threw a ball. I know how to speak English."

K.C. MCALPIN, PROENGLISH: "My dog is very big," or "Where is the White House?" Or some of the other questions that are really -- really very, very poor questions to ask if you're really probing for some knowledge.

ROMANS: Plus, he claims many immigrants with no English are rubberstamped on this part of the test anyway.

Larry Gonzalez also says the test should be more fair, but not more difficult, because it would hurt immigrants on the verge of citizenship.

LARRY GONZALEZ, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF LATINO ELECTED OFFICIALS: The folks that are getting lost in this debate are really the folks that have played by the rules and want to embrace America, and that's what this test should be about.

ROMANS: The government hopes to unveil a new citizenship test by January 2007.

ROMANS: A lot of controversy over this process, but the process started in the Clinton administration and has hit focus groups and dead ends for years now. One focus test reportedly asked immigrants to look at a picture and write about it in English. The failure rates then soared. That was quickly scrapped.

And this agency has a main focus on clearing up the backlog of applicants for visas and citizenship. Certainly any new test would not slow down that process.

DOBBS: This is remarkable to. And to put it in context, some studies suggesting that we have as many as 20 million illegal immigrants in the country. But part of it is we have an enormous backlog of those people whoa re applying for citizenship in this country appropriately and legally.

How many is the most recent and largest estimate?

ROMANS: The largest estimate is three to five million.

DOBBS: Three to five million people. And we have a federal government that is so fouled up that they cannot take care of those in the legal process, and are indifferent to those who are crossing the borders in an absolute violation?

ROMANS: And the focus in the legal process seems to be to whittle down that backlog as well. Some folks say they think they've got it down to maybe a million is the backlog. There are concerns about rushing people through.

Just this week, for example, this same agency recalled 60,000 green cards because of a computer error. That causes confusion and uncertainty among immigrants.

DOBBS: It's just idiocy.

ROMANS: Right.

DOBBS: And it's more of your government at work in this case in immigration. And they're very proud of their process. Three to five million people are not.

QUOTE:
LARRY GONZALEZ, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF LATINO ELECTED OFFICIALS: The folks that are getting lost in this debate are really the folks that have played by the rules and want to embrace America, and that's what this test should be about.

There are those 2 words I cant stand, used in 1 paragraph. Folks and embrace. Bush has used-up the 'folks' word so much that it makes me sick. And 'embrace' is so misused that it sounds just plain stupid. FOLKS - GAG ME.

Need the BARF BUCKET, BUTTERBEAN????

What made me so FURIOUS was the SIMPLICITY of the LANGUAGE part of the test. AND, that they want to make it EASIER???

Originally Posted by Bootsie

Need the BARF BUCKET, BUTTERBEAN????

What made me so FURIOUS was the SIMPLICITY of the LANGUAGE part of the test. AND, that they want to make it EASIER???

GOOD GRIEF! HOW SIMPLE CAN IT GET?!

Letting them take it in the LANGUAGE OF THEIR CHOICE??? With CHEAT SHEETS?? OR, an OPEN BOOK TEST???

I kind of like the idea of them looking at a picture and having to tell what it is in English. The pictures wouldn't even have to be that hard. Like a kid walking a dog or a man riding down the street in a truck. But at least it would prove that they understand enough English to speak.

I guess they will give them multiple choice questions with the answers in bold letters or something.

Jeepers Creepers!!!!!

I bet THAT'S IT! Multiple choice questions with the correct answer in bold print!!! But, I think I lean more towards the open book option! Of course the book would be in SPANISH so I don't know WHAT the poor people from OTHER countries would do. Let's just hope they are TRI-LINGUAL!

Oh no, we will print up the book in fifty languages as well as foreign script. We wouldn't want the miss the chance to "diversify."

That's right and we can drop the word, "assimilate", from the dictionary.

Originally Posted by JuniusJnr

Oh no, we will print up the book in fifty languages as well as foreign script. We wouldn't want the miss the chance to "diversify."

Most legal immigrants are WANT to learn English. Its the Hispanic ones that feel we are being racist by asking them to learn it. They dont plan on learning English, they dont feel like they need to, and they feel WE should be the ones to learn their language. Why should they bother with it? We seem to be adjusting to their way of thinking - you know - PRESS 1 FOR ENGLISH.