Citizenship Resources

The movement of people--what Americans call 'immigration' and the rest of the world calls 'migration'--is among the defining issues of our time. Technology and information crosses countries and continents at blistering speed. Corporations thrive on being multinational and polyglot. Yet the world's estimated 244 million total migrant population, particularly those deemed 'illegal' by countries and societies, are locked in a chaotic and circular debate about borders and documents, assimilation and identity. An issue about movement seems immovable: politically, culturally and personally. Dear America: Notes Of An Undocumented Citizen is an urgent, provocative and deeply personal account from Jose Antonio Vargas, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who happens to be the most well-known undocumented immigrant in the United States. Born in the Philippines and brought to the U.S. illegally as a 12-year-old, Vargas hid in plain-sight for years, writing for some of the most prestigious news organizations in the country (The Washington Post, The New Yorker) while lying about where he came from and how he got here. After publicly admitting his undocumented status--risking his career and personal safety--Vargas has challenged the definition of what it means to be an American, and has advocated for the human rights of immigrants and migrants during the largest global movement of people in modern history. Both a letter to America and a window into Vargas's America, this book is a transformative argument about migration and citizenship, and an intimate, searing exploration on what it means to be home when the country you call your home doesn't consider you one of its own.

Abdi Nor Iftin first fell in love with America from afar. As a child, he learned English by listening to American pop artists like Michael Jackson and watching films starring action heroes like Arnold Schwarzenegger. When U.S. marines landed in Mogadishu to take on the warlords, Abdi cheered the arrival of these real Americans, who seemed as heroic as those of the movies. Sporting American clothes and dance moves, he became known around Mogadishu as Abdi American, but when the radical Islamist group al-Shabaab rose to power in 2006, it suddenly became dangerous to celebrate Western culture. Desperate to make a living, Abdi used his language skills to post secret dispatches to NPR and the Internet, which found an audience of worldwide listeners. But as life in Somalia grew more dangerous, Abdi was left with no choice but to flee to Kenya as a refugee. In an amazing stroke of luck, Abdi won entrance to the U.S. in the annual visa lottery, though his route to America was filled with twists and turns and a harrowing sequence of events that nearly stranded him in Nairobi. Now a proud resident of Maine and on the path to citizenship, Abdi Nor Iftin's dramatic, deeply stirring memoir is truly a story for our time: a vivid reminder of why western democracies still beckon to those looking to make a better life.

The acclaimed, award-winning novelist--author of The Moor's Account and The Other Americans--now gives us a bracingly personal work of nonfiction that is concerned with the experiences of "conditional citizens." What does it mean to be American? In this starkly illuminating and impassioned book, Pulitzer Prize Finalist Laila Lalami recounts her unlikely journey from Moroccan immigrant to U.S. citizen, using it as a starting point for her exploration of the rights, liberties, and protections that are traditionally associated with American citizenship. Tapping into history, politics, and literature, she elucidates how accidents of birth--such as national origin, race, or gender--that once determined the boundaries of Americanness still cast their shadows today. Throughout the book, she poignantly illustrates how white supremacy survives through adaptation and legislation, with the result that a caste system is maintained, keeping the modern equivalent of white male landowners at the top of the social hierarchy. Conditional citizens, she argues, are all the people whom America embraces with one arm, and pushes away with the other. Brilliantly argued and deeply personal, Conditional Citizens weaves together the author's own experiences with explorations of the place of nonwhites in the broader American culture.

Before the Civil War, colonization schemes and Black laws threatened to deport former slaves born in United States. Birthright Citizens recovers the story of how African American activists remade national belonging through battles in legislatures, conventions, and courthouses. They faced formidable opposition, most notoriously from the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Dred Scott. Still, Martha S. Jones explains, no single case defined their status. Former slaves studied law, secured allies, and conducted themselves like citizens, establishing their status through local, everyday claims. All along they argued that birth guaranteed their rights. With fresh archival sources and an ambitious reframing of constitutional law-making before the Civil War, Jones shows how the Fourteenth Amendment constitutionalized the birthright principle, and Black Americans' aspirations were realized. Birthright Citizens tells how African American activists radically transformed the terms of citizenship for all Americans"--Provided by the publisher.

In his infamous opinion in Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857) Chief Justice Taney had denied that any American descended from Africans, whether free or slave, could claim citizenship. The Fourteenth Amendment's citizenship clause repudiated this principle. The Fourteenth Amendment's connection to birthright citizenship, however, is not built exclusively through the lives and fortunes of black citizens. It requires an understanding of the Chinese experience of migration to the United States, and Wong Kim Ark v. United States (1898) lies at the center of this story. Wong Kim Ark, a man in his mid-twenties who had been born in San Francisco to Chinese parents, was refused entry into the United States upon returning from a visit to China. By 1898, the strict policy forbidding most Chinese from entering the United States was well established, and Wong Kim Ark did not claim to fall into one of the narrow exceptional categories like merchant, diplomat, or student. Rather, he claimed that his birth in San Francisco rendered him a citizen. By a vote of six to two, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed. The landmark case established the principle that jus soli (geographically defined birthright citizenship) extended even to the children of US residents who were themselves barred from naturalization on racial grounds. In recent years, birthright citizenship in the United States has provoked renewed controversy. In a political moment when Americans are deeply divided over immigration, there is a special need to understand anew the history behind the longstanding principle that even the children of undocumented immigrants are citizens when they are born in the United States.

The path from green card to U.S. citizenship can be a long and winding one -- and bureaucratic hassles are inevitable. But with Becoming a U.S. Citizen, you can shave months or years off the time it takes to become a citizen. Find out how to:

• determine your eligibility
• make sure you won’t risk deportation by applying
• prepare your application packet
• study for the citizenship exam
• have a successful interview
• appeal the exam and deal with setbacks
• help family members immigrate
• enjoy your status as a U.S. citizen

In a powerful debut novel about motherhood, immigration, and identity, a pregnant Chinese woman makes her way to California and stakes a claim to the American dream. Holed up with other moms-to-be in a secret maternity home in Los Angeles, Scarlett Chen is far from her native China, where she worked in a factory job and fell in love with the owner, Boss Yeung. Now she's carrying his baby. Already married with three daughters, he's overjoyed because the doctors confirmed he will finally have the son he has always wanted. To ensure that his son has every advantage, he has shipped Scarlett off to give birth on American soil. U.S. citizenship will open doors for their little prince. As Scarlett awaits the baby's arrival, she chokes down bitter medicinal stews and spars with her imperious housemates. The only one who fits in even less is Daisy, a spirited teenager and fellow unwed mother who is being kept apart from her American boyfriend. Then a new sonogram of Scarlett's baby reveals the unexpected. Panicked, she escapes by hijacking a van--only to discover that she has a stowaway: Daisy, who intends to track down the father of her child. They flee to San Francisco's bustling Chinatown, where Scarlett will join countless immigrants desperately trying to seize their piece of the American dream. What Scarlett doesn't know is that her baby's father is not far behind her.

An Iraqi woman who survived capture by ISIS. A Sudanese teen growing up in civil war and famine. An Afghan interpreter for the U.S. Army living under threat of a fatwa. They are among the five refugees who share their stories in award-winning author and photographer Susan Kuklin’s latest masterfully crafted narrative. The five, originally from Afghanistan, Myanmar, South Sudan, Iraq, and Burundi, give gripping first-person testimonies about what it is like to flee war, face violent threats, grow up in a refugee camp, be sold into slavery, and resettle in America. Illustrated with full-color photographs of the refugees’ new lives in Nebraska, this work is essential reading for understanding the devastating impact of war and persecution — and the power of resilience, optimism, and the will to survive. Included in the end matter are chapter notes, information on resettlement and U.S. citizenship, historical time lines of war and political strife in the refugees’ countries of origin, resources for further reading, and an index.

From sea to shining sea, The Handy State-by-State Answer Book: Faces, Places, and Famous Dates for all Fifty States explores the history, growth, politics, people, and more of each of the 50 states. It is a resource for learning about the events and personalities that influenced and affected each state, its history, government, cities, and culture. It is a convenient place to look for state facts and trivia. It offers an engaging overview of how a union of states became the U.S.A, the background and history of each of its 50 states, and the current state of each state.

Libby and her great-aunt, Lobo, both learn the Pledge of Allegiance--Libby for school, and Lobo for her U.S. citizenship ceremony.

Review of U.S history, government facts, legal rights, most recent government procedures and regulations *Instructional overview of reading, writing, and speaking English *Information on citizenship application procedures *Guide to the application process.

This book provides the OFFICIAL USCIS 100 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS and presents them in both English and Spanish. They are presented in simple question and answer style and in a QUIZ (flash card) style (with question on one page and answer on the following page) - a FAST and EASY way to memorize. The book also provides:1. a list of important web addresses (Immigration, Naturalization and State Representatives),2. all of the English writing words asked on the test, 3. all the English reading words asked on the test4. a list of the State and Territory capitals,5. a list of U.S. Senators and state Governors.

As Americans, we all have civic responsibilities to our country. These might include serving on a jury, voting during an election, obeying the laws, and being a good citizen by volunteering or helping those in need. This book also discusses other civic responsibilities, such as paying taxes, serving our country during times of conflict or war, and how our freedom comes with a price! Learn all about how you can be a good citizen in the wonderful country we call home! This book will allow students to determine the main idea of a text; recount the key details and explain how they support the main idea.

Thousands of people apply for citizenship in the United States every year, and this fully revised reference provides valuable information for those wishing to apply—including foreign nationals who currently live and work in the U.S.—those who work with U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Services, individuals who teach courses on U.S. citizenship, English as a second language instructors, legal support staff, and others. Descriptions of the process, requirements, application procedure, and test samples are detailed. This edition provides the latest information on citizenship based on military service and also includes sample forms and a directory of Immigration and Naturalization Service offices and U.S. passport agencies.

The Way to U.S. Citizenship supports citizenship students on two levels--offering comprehensive preparation for the USCIS oral interview and written exams, and providing supplementary content about history and government. Systematic development of language and content recognizes the unique needs of intermediate ESL students.

This manual has been updated to include explanations of recently instituted government procedures and regulations that pertain to application for United States citizenship. Progressive exercises, in addition to providing a review of information needed for the test, build practice in using spoken and written English. Topics include reviews of U.S. history, geography, and government, explanation of application procedures, advice on filling out citizenship application forms, and up-to-date information on eligibility for naturalization.

This all-in-one contains everything needed to prepare for and pass the U.S. Citizenship exam and become a U.S. citizen. Inside you will find:

• 100 official USCIS history and civics questions and answers
• A sample N-400 Form--application for naturalization
• Vocabulary lists that cover all the words you need to know to take the exam
• A walkthrough of the citizenship process
• Sample interview questions and the best way to answer them

Provides all the skills and concepts students need to pass the civics and literacy tests and prepare for the interview. The CD helps students build listening comprehension skills that are critical to passing the civics and literacy tests.

Written in an easy to use ‘workbook’ self-help style, with sample forms, clear directions to government agency websites, and a comprehensive listing of many categories including NAFTA, this Guide is an essential reference for anyone pursuing what is often a time-consuming, challenging, and stressful process. Of equal value to individuals as to lawyers and paralegals who may meet these issues on the periphery of their other cases, it is also ideally suited for grass roots Immigration Agencies, Libraries, Schools, and Universities. Professor Allan Wernick, of Baruch College, CUNY, New York, is a nationally syndicated columnist in the ‘New York Daily News’, and has in this volume brought together authoritative guides to assist with navigation through the daunting legal immigration maze at all levels, eventually leading where desired to the obtaining of the much prized citizenship status.

Susan B. Anthony devoted her life to the fight for women's rights. Includes a timeline and glossary!

Guided Reading Level J. This full-color storybook tells the tale of George Washington, the first president of the United States. Includes many historical facts and a glossary!

Explores how the characters and lives of King George III of England and George Washington affected the progress and outcome of the American Revolution.

Its 1787, and a handful of men are about to sign the United States Constitution. In a few minutes, a newly free country will have a set of rules made by the people, for the people. Join lawmaker James Madison as he picks up a pen and makes history.

Full-color illustrations tell the story of America through one hundred true tales of triumph and tragedy, from the Mayflower and Wright brothers' flight to the Watergate break-in and Salem witch trials.

In graphic novel format, tells the life story of American statesman and inventor Benjamin Franklin.

Tells the story of Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in North America. Written in graphic-novel format.

In graphic novel format, tells the life story of Patrick Henry, who is known as the 'Voice of the American Revolution.

In graphic novel format, tells the story of the colonists who traveled to North America in 1620 on the Mayflower, their reasons for coming, and how they started Plymouth Colony.

Bold illustrations and active dialogue bring American history to life in this epic graphic novel! The Boston Tea Party, by Matt Doeden, tells the story of a group of American Patriots who protested Great Britain's Tea Act. Going undercover during the night, the Patriots risked their lives to dump a shipment of British tea into Boston Harbor. With extensive back matter including a bibliography, extended reading list, glossary, and further internet sources, readers will gobble up this graphic novel detailing an important moment leading up to the American Revolution.

Describes the origins, applications of, and challenges to the ten amendments to the United States Constitution that comprise the Bill of Rights.

A biography of the eighteenth-century printer, publisher, inventor, scientist, and statesman who played an influential role in the early history of the United States.