Apparently Juan Garcia and two other Rhode Island legal immigrants were chosen to be 'voices' for immigrants deciding to become citizens before the rates go up. I'll put a little of the story here for a tease, but you got to got to the Providence Journal story to get it all. Bottom line, after 22 years here in the U.S. , Juan and one of the other two still need an interpreter to speak!
Incentives to citizenship
July 18, 2007
By Tom MooneyJournal Staff Writer
Juan Garcia, above, at a news conference at Providence City Hall to urge immigrants to apply for citizenship, says he’s ready to become a citizen
PROVIDENCE — Juan Garcia arrived in the United States in 1978. Originally from Guatemala, he says he’s had permanent legal status here for 22 years. Not until now, however, has the 54-year-old community service worker chosen to become a citizen.
Spurred by the polarizing immigration reform debate and steep hikes in the naturalization fees come Aug. 1, Garcia plans to register for citizenship on Saturday and fulfill a growing sense of civic obligation.
“For legal residents” such as himself, “it’s a question of making sure our voices are heard,” he said yesterday through a translator.
The International Institute of Rhode Island estimates that about 150,000 people in the Ocean State are foreign born, says its executive director, William Shuey. About 50,000 are already U.S. citizens. Of the remaining 100,000, at least 70,000 are here legally and eligible for citizenship, he says.
Yesterday, Shuey, Garcia and two other legal immigrants, Eduviges DeLaRosa and Gabriela Amparo, joined a collection of church, union and community organizations promoting a national campaign to motivate legal immigrants to become citizens and use the power of their vote.
July 18, 2007
By Tom MooneyJournal Staff Writer
Juan Garcia, above, at a news conference at Providence City Hall to urge immigrants to apply for citizenship, says he’s ready to become a citizen
PROVIDENCE — Juan Garcia arrived in the United States in 1978. Originally from Guatemala, he says he’s had permanent legal status here for 22 years. Not until now, however, has the 54-year-old community service worker chosen to become a citizen.
Spurred by the polarizing immigration reform debate and steep hikes in the naturalization fees come Aug. 1, Garcia plans to register for citizenship on Saturday and fulfill a growing sense of civic obligation.
“For legal residents” such as himself, “it’s a question of making sure our voices are heard,” he said yesterday through a translator.
The International Institute of Rhode Island estimates that about 150,000 people in the Ocean State are foreign born, says its executive director, William Shuey. About 50,000 are already U.S. citizens. Of the remaining 100,000, at least 70,000 are here legally and eligible for citizenship, he says.
Yesterday, Shuey, Garcia and two other legal immigrants, Eduviges DeLaRosa and Gabriela Amparo, joined a collection of church, union and community organizations promoting a national campaign to motivate legal immigrants to become citizens and use the power of their vote.
Now friends, go to the ProJo site to read the story, but make sure you are sittin' down! http://www.projo.com/news/content/citizen_registration_07-18-07_C46DJK1.2b8e7a6.html#
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