What if you had to take: The Ultimate Test?

Immigrants and supporters protesting in California last summer. Taken by a photographer at PalmBeachPost.com




“America has never been united by blood or birth or soil, we are bound by ideals that move us beyond our backgrounds, lift us above our interests and teach us what it means to be citizens.”
-President George Bush Sr.

Naturalization is a term that has been coined to refer to the process of being bound to American ideas, the term that classifies the citizens. So what does this process consist of? What does it take to become an American?

According to the US Citizen and Immigration Services, more than two million people have been naturalized since the new millennium began. Although this is undoubtedly a significant number, it in no way compares to the 11 million estimated illegal immigrants living in the U.S. today.

For many, this number was brought to life this summer, when millions took to the streets of nearly every major metropolis protesting the immigrant mistreatment.

In the past year alone, George W. Bush has heavily promoted immigration reform. Policies in this reform would provide amnesty for those immigrants that have been living in the United States and working here for two years or more, while simultaneously making it more difficult for new immigrants to come to this country.

This system would bring a new card to the game. In addition to the green card (or permanent residency card) a blue card would be introduced. It would serve as a preliminary card that could be earned by those working in the U.S. According to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services the blue card is intended to pave the way for immigrants wishing to obtain a green card.

Along with talks of policy reform, there have been talks of building a fence on the US-Mexico borders. Conservatives claim this archaic structure, reminiscent of the long-gone Berlin-wall, would solve America’s immigration troubles.

Most immigrants agree becoming a naturalized American is a nearly impossible feat.If you are lucky enough to be chosen in the visa lottery, your record is then examined and considered. If you meet these qualifications (which are somewhat a mystery to most) you are then allowed to wait for your paperwork to be processed which will finally lead you to an extended stay in the U.S.

After this process, official citizenship is still eons away. After filling out form after form and proving your intentions to uncle same, over and over, there is the ultimate test: The U.S. Naturalization Exam.

Like other immigration policies, the exam is being reevaluated by the USICS. As of this January 2007, the naturalization test has been redesigned to include “fundamental concepts of American democracy and the rights and responsibilities of citizenship," as they have stated on their site.

A press release from the Department of Homeland Security states that the goal of this redesign is also to “create a test and testing process that is standardized, fair and meaningful”. It emphasizes that the government would like to ensure that there is no variation between exams from office-to-office throughout the nation.

USCIS Director, Emilio Gonzales explains these changes. “We found that the current naturalization exam process lacks standardization and encourages applicants to memorize facts just to pass the test but that doesn’t guarantee that they understand the meaning behind the question.” Gonzales said.

The exam is said to include 144 history, 35 reading and 35 writing questions.

The new test will be given at pilot offices nation-wide and then be given at every location. Among the first cities to undergo this change are Albany, Boston, Denver, Miami, El Paso, Tucson, San Antonio, Charleston, Kansas City, and Yakima, Washington.

Before taking the test the federal government requires that each candidate have the following: “continuous residence and physical presence in the United States, residence in a particular USCIS District prior to filing; an ability to read, write, and speak English; a knowledge and understanding of U.S. history and government; good moral character; attachment to the principles of the U.S. Constitution; and, favorable disposition toward the United States.” According to the office of US Citizenship and immigration Services (USCIS), those qualifications are precisely what the exam is intended to measure and quantify.

The exam is filled with questions about government and American history, things that every good American citizen should and according to Uncle Sam, is required to know. According to Gonzales, “Our goal is to inspire immigrants to learn about the civic values of this nation so that after they take the oath of citizenship they will participate in our great democracy.”

So, go ahead, ask yourself, would you make it, if you had to earn it? Here are some of the questions that frequently appear in the naturalization exam:

1- Name some countries that were our enemies during World War II.
2-What was the 49th state added to the union?
3-What are some requirements to become president?
4-Who wrote our anthem?
5-Who is Chief Justice of the Supreme Court?
6-What is the Bill of Rights?
7-How many amendments are there in the constitution?
8-What were the original 13 states?
9-Who is the head of the executive branch of the US government?
10-Who elects congress?

How many did you get right If you are anything like the college students and graduates I surveyed, you probably didn’t get much more than half of these questions correct (the answers are posted at the end of this article).

I interviewed about a dozen college students and graduates throughout Drexel University campus and in the streets of Philadelphia. I asked five random naturalization questions per person. Not a single person was able to answer all five correctly. In fact, most were so embarrassed, they wanted to remain anonymous. Most students got about 53% correct. These results would lead most applicants to re-take the exam. Those wishing to become citizens are required to answer at least 60% correct.

A common response when I asked how many senators there were was “a lot!” Interestingly, no one was able to answer who elects the president. One student said “don’t we vote, then congress votes and then, something… each state gets like twenty votes and I don’t know, its complicated.”

So my next question is, what do these results mean? The USCIS says the goal of this exam is to “…encourage civic learning and patriotism among prospective citizens.”
Are we demanding immigrants to be know facts that even the most educated Americans are ignorant of? And if being American is defined by the knowledge of these facts, does this ignorance make people less American?

“Some of these are ‘Jeopardy!’ questions…But what does ‘Jeopardy!’ have to do with the naturalization process?” asked Andrew Stengel, executive director of the northeast office of the People for the American Way Foundation during a recent interview with New York Daily News reporter Clem Richardson.

My point here is not to undermine the importance of our history and government; in the contrary it is to bring attention to this lack of awareness. Because if we are defined by our patriotic, nationalistic feelings, shouldn’t these feelings be based on something more than an oath and the exuberant waving of flags? Shouldn’t we inculcate this very same knowledge in ourselves?

Stengel explains that “some of the answers are very specific and if you don’t give that answer you fail. The object should not be to fail people.”

This led me to wonder about the logistics of the exam. If most Americans weren’t proficient, what percentage of immigrants fared equally? To my surprise, I found no statistics that answered this question. In fact, there is very little available information.

The USCIS is virtually the only source of information. In their guide, The USCIS Guide to Naturalization, provides logistical information that answers logistical questions such as “What can I do if I cannot attend my oath ceremony?”
The guide does state that if a naturalization application (which is a set of identification-related documents as well as the English language test and the citizenship test) is denied, “In many cases you can reapply.” If you are looking for specifics, you won’t find them here.

The USCIS also provides a few sample questions, but it does not make it clear if these are sampled from the newly re-designed test. Many of the documents available, are dateless, so many times I wondered, is this referring to the old test, or the redesigned test?

After finding out very little information online, aside from a few study guides including flash cards, I decided to call USICS to get some clear answers. Rather than a voice, I found an endless phone tree that led nowhere.

Stengel insists, “We think a test like his can be used to suppress immigration.’

If these were the results of someone with all the necessary resources including knowledge of the English language, how do freshly arrived immigrants fare at this tricky game of naturalization?


Still wondering about the answers?
1-Italy, Germany and Japan
2-Alaska
3-Must be at least 35 years of age, must be a natural-born, not naturalized citizen, must have lived in the US for the last 14 years
4-Francis Scott Key
5-John G Roberts Jr
6-The first 10 amendments of the constitution
7-27
8- Virginia, Massachusetts, Maryland, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Hampshire, North Carolina, South Carolina, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Georgia
9- The President
10- The citizens of the US

Did you answer 6 or more questions correctly?




The video below was recorded at the Drexel University library. I asked three students to answer a few sample questions each and here are the results.

Citizens & the Citizenship Test

To Cart or not to Cart? That is the question!!

Its now been about two weeks since I first tried what most Philadelphians call "cart food". This type of food includes hot dogs, bagel egg and cheese sandwiches, cheesesteaks and of course just good old soft pretzels.
My venture into cart food was not a timid one--- hungry, and with just a few dollars to speak, and even less time to chow, I ran across market street to khan's cart. Why khan's you ask? Well, the honest answer is because there was no line, which in retrospect I realize raises my questions about my level of common sense.
I quickly glanced at the menu, then got on my tippy toes, and looked up at Khan " umm, can I have a chicken cheesesteak with?" I said. And in his thick eastern accent he repeated my order. I watched his hands intently. I looked at the "grill" and watched him chop up the chicken into tiny little pieces, then add the onion...to my surprise, my anticipation grew.
After paying 3.75 cents for my lunch, I ran back across Market street and found a lounge where I could park myself. Honestly I didn't know if I wanted to be watched eating what I had always looked at as a hygienic monstrosity. So I found a little nook, unwrapped my lunch, tearing the layers of paper, piece by piece, as quietly as possible.
I then bravely took my very first bite of cart food. And it was pretty tasty if I may say. The cheese had melted into the chicken and the onions gave it just a bit of sweetness. My next thought was "maybe ignorance is bliss?"
So like I said, its been a couple of weeks since that first bite, and I must confess, that first bite has led to many more. Since then I have eaten about 3 other chicken cheesesteaks with... and have yet to develp any sort of side effect, except maybe a pound here or there and some extra dollars in my wallet which have gone toward satisfying my starbucks/redbull addiction, but thats another story!

The Owls leave the Nest

Temple University, yet another batch of happy graduates



“This is the beginning of what I hope is a long road for me, I’m just happy to make my family is proud.”, said aspiring doctor Jason Becker. He is the first person in his family to graduate college. The modest 21 year-old managed to complete his degree in biology one semester early and with cum laude honors. Becker, along with two hundred and fifteen other students participated in the diploma ceremony for the College of Science and Technology held today. Unlike their spring commencement ceremony, held in the huge Liacouras Center, this was an intimate affair.

Hai Lung Dai, the new Dean of the College of Science and Technology led the afternoon ceremony held in MittonHall. He promptly introduced the guest speaker, Professor Franklin A. Davis. Davis is a renowned chemist who has been honored by the American Chemical Society’s Cope Scholar Award; Drexel University’s Research Achievement Award and is the author of more than 250 publications.

This, like most graduation ceremonies was filled with speakers and speeches. Davis offered honest advice to the class of 2007 and conveyed a message of passion and perseverance. “If you don’t know what to do, don’t worry about it; move on and find something you love to do.”

Zach Reichenbach, the student speaker contributed wise words to his fellow classmates, “Contrary to what your student loans say, you are wealthy.” Reichenbach emphasized how wealthy he and his classmates feel after having undergone the Temple experience. “Knowledge is the only true from of wealth” he said, eloquently.

But knowledge may not be the only reason Temple students are feeling wealthy. Temple, the Philadelphia area’s only public institution is one of the highest ranking universities in the nation. As of 2006, Temple’s in-state tuition is 9,680, compared to Penn State’s over 11 thousand per year. Temple also prides itself in providing 64% of their students with financial aid, bringing the nine-thousand-dollar price tag, to an even lower cost for most.

According to US News and World Report Temple University has been improving each year for nearly the past decade. Here are the current ranks. Temple is number 4 for undergraduate entrepreneurship programs in the country, but number one in the region. Temple was also ranked number 10 in international business.

The cost may be affordable, but that’s not the reason thousands come from all over the country to study at the North Philadelphia campus. One of the reasons may be their extensive curriculum and vast majors. Temple offers 133 master’s degree and 62 doctorial programs.

And if North Philadelphia doesn’t sound like an appealing place to spend four years, Temple provides the option of traveling to one of their international campuses. They are scattered through the dynamic global metropoli of Tokyo and Rome.

“The time I spent in Rome was probably the best part of my college experience; I absorbed the art and experienced the culture. Best of all I got the opportunity to live there for over a month, something I may never get the chance to do again!”, said Carlos Fernandez who graduated from Tyler, Temple’s school of art, in 2006.

Carlos considers himself a prime example of what makes the Temple education great.
“Temple allowed me to do exactly what I wanted to do: I stayed in my home town, paid close to nothing and got a great education in what I love to do. Carlos discovered his love for glassblowing while at Tyler and is now pursuing a career in the arts.

Many students admit they were initially hesitant to attending Temple and living on-campus due to the local reputation of the neighborhood. “North Philadelphia was not on my top ten places to live, but I can honestly say, after living here for four years I never felt threatened.”, said Becker. The reason for this may be Temple’s ultra- heightened security. Temple’s police force, the second largest in Philadelphia describes itself as “much more than a police department” and is led by former Philadelphia Police inspector and 26 year veteran, Carl S. Bittenbender.

“That’s one of the good things about Temple; it’s a big school, with a small school feel” said Becker. According to the Princeton Review, that’s not the only good thing about Philadelphia’s public university. Temple, like most other large institutions also has satellite campuses that offer most of the core curriculum.

Temple’s students are encouraged to take liberal arts classes and attain a well-rounded education. The university offers an immense variety of liberal arts courses many of which pertain to a specific, but locally relevant aspect or facet of society. Some topics included are “History of Blacks in Pennsylvania”, “Men and Masculinity”, “People and Places of Philadelphia”, “Hispanic Dialectology”.

In addition to their requirements per major, every student at Temple is required to enroll in what they call a “race” course. These courses include “The Asian American Experience”, “Ebonics: African American Languages”, “Puerto Rican Literature”.

Temple’s curriculum and requirements are perhaps a reflection of their population
Just last year, Temple was named “Best in the Northeast” for its “Diverse Student Population”.

When asked what they thought of their somewhat non-traditional curriculum, most students agreed with Fernandez when he said, “In the beginning I didn’t think they were necessary, after growing up in the city, I thought I knew a lot about diversity, but in all honesty I think they enriched what I knew, and really prepared a lot of people that suffered a pretty big culture shock when they moved from their small towns, to this very, very urban setting.”

“It really teaches you to be tolerant”, added Becker.

The voices of those who graduated today weren’t just happy, they were satisfied. “Temple is definitely the most underrated school in the area. When I say I go to Temple around here, its no big deal, but you would be surprised, once you cross a few state lines, the tone changes a little.” Becker insisted proudly.

“Keep an open mind, don’t believe everything you see or hear.” That was the message Professor Davis left the graduating class of winter 2007 today. The message stands far from commencement ceremony cliches, but nothing less would be expected from a Temple University professor.

Oh what a Night!

Streets were blocked and lights were brighter than usual in downtown Philadelphia. Center city was replete with tuxedos and ballgowns, bright sequins like accents and punctuation marks. This Saturday February 27Th was quite an eventful one for the city. Hair of the Dog had its regional party at the Constitution Center, Philly Fest thrilled the Southeast Asian community, and everyone was baffled to a halt; Prince William was in town!

The royal couple arrived in Philadelphia Saturday morning, they were greeted at Independence Hall. Later that night, the Bellevue hosted the Grande Gala for his Majesty and his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall. Broad Street was blocked, even to foot traffic! On lookers had to settle for peaking through each others shoulders as they gaped across the street, covered in white tents and plagued by Limos.

While crowds continued to stare and wait for his majesty anxiously, young bhangra dancers and fanatics surfed through the crowds, in an attempt to reach their destination: the Meriam Theater, also on the Avenue of the Arts.

That's where Philly Fest 2007 was held. PF is a national competition, where undergraduate Southeast Asian dancing troops show off their skills in hopes of taking home the Philly Fest Cup. Among the participating schools were John's Hopkins, Stanford, NYU, Georgetown, UCSD, Penn and Drexel. The popular Penn Masala a capella group also made an appearance. This year the cup went to the University of California, San Diego.


And finally, the dog is turning 13! Although the National Constitution Center doesn't exactly sound like the most exciting place to be, let alone party on a Saturday night, hundreds drank and danced the night away there. Hair of the Dog thew its 13th annual party there. The black tie event was just another excuse for philadelphians to party during this action packed Saturday!


More on his majesty and his Philadelphia adventures click here

This is Philly!

Philadelphia is... mummers on New Year's!

Its been more than a decade since I was first introduced to what I now know as the city of brotherly love. Prior to this very abrupt introduction, my only source of knowledge about this city came directly from the beloved Will Smith and the hideous images shown on his now syndicated show Fresh Prince of Bel Air. I am relieved to say, that is not the Philadelphia I know.

Granted parts of Philly after dark can be a bit questionable...Temple campus...10th and Cecil B Moore...need I say more? But the point is Philly has tons to offer. It is a growing metropolis, rich with culture and diversity. Its loaded with museums, every morsel fulled with history. Restaurants have been booming through its nooks for years now, from BYO's to the Starr's. Old desolate corners are re- flourishing. Chestnut street is making a strong and resilient return from gray hibernation. I'm just lucky to be in the midst of it all...and hopefully I'll be able to guide you through the city. Together we'll explore art galleries, museums, restaurants, eateries, bars...and everything else I find while gallivanting...Philly Style!