Thuong Vu, an immigrant from Vietnam, has been in the United States for six years. He took the citizenship test twice on his own and failed; after taking the CWS class, he tried a third time and succeeded. The key, he said, was learning the questions and vocabulary on the N-400 form, the application submitted in order to naturalize. Even if an immigrant speaks and understands English fluently, the form has many words and grammar difficult for non-native English speakers to understand.
Mahawa Smith moved to the United States from Senegal because she married an American citizen. Her daughter was born in the U.S. “I like living in the U.S. because I can work and help my daughter. She was born here and has freedoms in America that she does not have in Senegal. In America, she can go to school. In Africa, many girls cannot go to school.” Now that she is a U.S. citizen, Mahawa is looking forward to many of the privileges that come with citizenship status. She hopes to help her father and brother come as they are both still in Senegal. Additionally, she says, “I am happy to be a citizen because I have the right to vote and many other opportunities.”
Blinh Ramah is a Montagnard man from Vietnam. The Montagnards were recruited by the U.S. Special Forces during the Vietnam War. After the United States withdrew from Vietnam, many Montagnards were forced to flee. Greensboro has the highest Montagnard population outside of Vietnam. “I am happy to be a citizen because I like America and want to be free,” Blinh said. When he fled Vietnam, he lived in the jungle for two months without access to food or water, then made his way to Cambodia. He has lived in Greensboro for nine years. Blinh is excited to enjoy the privileges and responsibilities that come with American citizenship. “Next year, I want to vote for President and contribute to society.” When asked about the citizenship class and test, he said it was helpful to have a class with people from other countries. “The Church World Service class helped me pass the test because it told me everything I needed to know. And I liked the different accents in the class. It helped me learn English better.”
Meet more new citizens at www.cwsgreensboro.org