September 17 is Citizenship Day. President Harry Truman signed a bill in 1952 officially observing Citizenship Day in correlation with Constitution Day as a way for “every citizen of the United States, whether native-born or foreign-born, should on September 17 of each year give special thought and consideration to his rights and responsibilities under our Constitution”. Citizenship Day is meant as a day to honor legal immigrants who have sought and achieved US citizenship through naturalization.
Naturalization is when an immigrant entering the country follows a process in order to become a US citizen. Eligible immigrants for this process include permanent residents holding green cards for 3-5 years, or ones that meet certain military service requirements. From the time that an immigrant files an application for citizenship to the day they attend the Oath of Allegiance ceremony, it can take about 5 months and cost up to $760.
One of the steps in the process of naturalization is the US Citizenship Test. This test is a series of civics-based questions to see what an applicant knows about the US government, history and geography. The test includes 100 questions, 10 of which will be asked to the applicant. In order to pass, the applicant must get 6 answers right. For a complete list of all 100 questions and answers, visit this link. See how many you can answer.
Migration
People have always moved, or migrated, from one place to another in search of resources or opportunities. Migration from one nation to another is called immigration. Some people become refugees when they flee wars or natural disasters. Economic differences, or disparities, between rich and poor areas also drive migration as people seek relief from poverty through employment in a wealthier area. As globalization has accelerated in the last half century, so has migration. Social scientists estimate that 1 out of 6 people in the world, more than one billion people, are crossing national borders as migrant workers. Of these 1 billion, 72% are women. Many migrants find work as domestic laborers, providing child care and cleaning services in the homes of people in wealthier countries. Also, many migrants find seasonal work as farm laborers.
Hold a Panel Discussion
Imagine that representatives of different countries are meeting to discuss international immigration policy. Each student can represent a different nation. Use the internet or library resource to find out the following information about the immigration policies of your nation:
- the procedures that people must follow to immigrate legally
- the approximate number of immigrants per year
- what countries most immigrants come from
- the approximate number of people who immigrate out of the country per year
- the countries where most people immigrate to
- any problems with illegal immigration and human trafficking
Write a brief, one-page summary of this information using a bulleted list format. Now, hold a panel discussion. First, each representative presents a one-minute summary of immigration in his or her nation. Then, have a discussion among the representatives about the global issues of immigration. Make a bulleted list of recommendations that can lead to an international treaty on immigration.
Download a printable version of this activity here.