Mary Gavelda immigrated from Austria-Hungary (now Poland) in 1909, and then married Simon Chucalovich in 1911. Mary, who is Velda’s paternal Grandmother, became a naturalized citizen in 1939 … and Velda was named for her.
Given the political surge towards dealing with illegal immigration in some fashion, I thought it worthwhile to review what it takes to become a citizen.
I did it the easy way. As Lady Gaga sang, “I Was Born This Way.”
There are an estimated 11 million illegal immigrants in the country. However, the last time the US created a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants, only a fraction of those eligible became naturalized — less than half, in fact.
Naturalization is the process by which U.S. citizenship is granted to a foreign citizen or national after he or she fulfills the requirements established by Congress in the (current) Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).
Generally, to be eligible for naturalization you must:
- Be age 18 or older;
- Be a (ed. note: legal) permanent resident for a certain amount of time (usually 5 years but less for some individuals);
- Be a person of good moral character;
- Have a basic knowledge of U.S. history and government;
- Have a period of continuous residence and physical presence in the United States; and
- Be able to read, write, and speak basic English.
There is a test! You must pass a test on US history and government, and another test on English. Here’s a recent history and government test summary from the Wall Street Journal:
Here are a few of the more interesting questions from our current N-400, Application for Naturalization.
Have you ever been a habitual drunkard?
Have you ever been a member or in any way associated (either directly or indirectly) with:
a. The Communist Party?
b. Any other totalitarian party?
c. A terrorist organization?
Do you have any title of nobility in any foreign country?
On July 3, 2012 at the Seattle Center, 520 people from 79 nations became U.S. citizens. – Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.
How About Your Family?
We are a nation of immigrants.
I hope our political leaders can find their way clear to solving the complex issue that is immigration. We need to control our borders … but we also need to be realistic about the labor needs in our country. California crops would rot in the field if not for the migrant labor that follows the harvest. I’m not a fan of the illegals clustered around Home Depot and equipment rental yards hoping to catch some day labor. I absolutely believe that employers should only employ legal residents.
However, we cannot and must not be a closed society. Immigrants should have a chance to succeed in our country, just as my ancestors did.
