Here's a look at the language side of New American issues as well as the support programs available.
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Sunnyside citizenship classes (Pima Community College)
Tucson Literacy Coalition
Arizona English Language Learner Assessment (AZELLA)
Monday, October 27, 2008
Monday, October 20, 2008
Dual citizenship and a few sponsorships
Chris Wood moved to the United States in 1999 for a “combination of politics and taxes.”
Wood has dual citizenship in the United States, where he was born and in Canada, where he grew up.
Wood was living in Montreal working as a commodities trader when he decided to move to Chicago where he had an apartment and a job set up.
“It was a time when the economy was booming,” Wood said.
But after a vacation in Arizona and despite all well made plans, Wood decided to move to Arizona instead.
Even after moving to the US, Wood continued to travel back to Canada on business and to see his family. It was there that he met his wife Jody.
“I met her in Canada, I met her in a bar of all places,” Wood said. “And I said I live in a place called Carefree, Ariz., how bad can it be?”
She eventually came to the US with him where they are now living and raising their daughter Jade.
Jody has her green card and is continuing through the process to get her citizenship which they expect will be another two years. Wood is sponsoring her.
He also sponsors a friend and former business partner who came around the same time Wood did and still only has his green card.
Wood says it’s complicated why he chooses to stay in the US.
“The US, I think, is the world’s only superpower,” Wood said. “We do a lot of wonderful things for the world, that's the short answer.”
Wood has dual citizenship in the United States, where he was born and in Canada, where he grew up.
Wood was living in Montreal working as a commodities trader when he decided to move to Chicago where he had an apartment and a job set up.
“It was a time when the economy was booming,” Wood said.
But after a vacation in Arizona and despite all well made plans, Wood decided to move to Arizona instead.
Even after moving to the US, Wood continued to travel back to Canada on business and to see his family. It was there that he met his wife Jody.
“I met her in Canada, I met her in a bar of all places,” Wood said. “And I said I live in a place called Carefree, Ariz., how bad can it be?”
She eventually came to the US with him where they are now living and raising their daughter Jade.
Jody has her green card and is continuing through the process to get her citizenship which they expect will be another two years. Wood is sponsoring her.
He also sponsors a friend and former business partner who came around the same time Wood did and still only has his green card.
Wood says it’s complicated why he chooses to stay in the US.
“The US, I think, is the world’s only superpower,” Wood said. “We do a lot of wonderful things for the world, that's the short answer.”
Monday, October 13, 2008
Sunday, October 5, 2008
The test.
Each week I talk to new Americans, some who are now citizens and some who are still working to get through the process . But all of them mentioned one part of the process that I had to look into. The test.
On October 1, 2008, a new citizenship test went into effect "in the interest of creating a more standardized, fair, and meaningful naturalization process," according to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Regardless of the changes, the test involves a great deal of history and government questions. It goes with no surprise that there are a number of study resources and tools out there from videos, software, study guides and Web sites to study for the test.
This video goes through the new test questions.
Other resources are also available including sample test questions on U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Web site. They also offer printable flashcards to study for the exam.
United States Immigration Support offers a Test Study Guide that you can download or order to prepare for the test. They also offer a list of the old questions and new questions for the exam.
How would you do?
Sample questions from the United States Immigration Support Web site:
1. Name one war fought by the United States in the 1900s.
2. What did Susan B. Anthony do?
3. What is one thing Benjamin Franklin is famous for?
4. There were 13 original states. Name three.
5. What is one responsibility that is only for United States citizens?
After looking at all of the resources and possible test questions, I would be willing to bet that the people who were not born with U.S. citizenship know more about our history and government than most of us born here. It is too bad that we take for granted what some people spend years of their lives trying so hard to get.
On October 1, 2008, a new citizenship test went into effect "in the interest of creating a more standardized, fair, and meaningful naturalization process," according to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Regardless of the changes, the test involves a great deal of history and government questions. It goes with no surprise that there are a number of study resources and tools out there from videos, software, study guides and Web sites to study for the test.
This video goes through the new test questions.
Other resources are also available including sample test questions on U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Web site. They also offer printable flashcards to study for the exam.
United States Immigration Support offers a Test Study Guide that you can download or order to prepare for the test. They also offer a list of the old questions and new questions for the exam.
How would you do?
Sample questions from the United States Immigration Support Web site:
1. Name one war fought by the United States in the 1900s.
2. What did Susan B. Anthony do?
3. What is one thing Benjamin Franklin is famous for?
4. There were 13 original states. Name three.
5. What is one responsibility that is only for United States citizens?
After looking at all of the resources and possible test questions, I would be willing to bet that the people who were not born with U.S. citizenship know more about our history and government than most of us born here. It is too bad that we take for granted what some people spend years of their lives trying so hard to get.
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