Gary and I had dinner at the home of a couple of friends this past weekend. One of them teaches at a local college. As part of a project, one of her students brought a copy of the list of sample questions that the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services may ask of someone who is taking the exam to become a citizen of the United States. We went through many of the questions ourselves, which prompted a lively conversation around the dinner table (and a visit to Google).
For you folks who were born into U.S. citizenship, how many of these sample questions can you answer? (The numbering is from the list of questions; the answers are below.)
19. How many changes, or amendments, are there to the Constitution?
26. For how long do we elect each [U.S.] Senator?
27. Name two senators from your state.
28. How many voting members are in the [U.S.] House of Representatives?
29. For how long do we elect each member of the House of Representatives?
35. What is the Bill of Rights?
39. Who is Chief Justice of the Supreme Court?
40. What were the original 13 states?
63. What did the Emancipation Proclamation do?
75. Whose rights are guaranteed by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights?
80. Name one right or freedom guaranteed by the First Amendment.
89. What kind of government does the United States have?
Answers:
19. Twenty-seven amendments
26. 6 years
27. The answer to this question depends on where you live. [In Florida: Mel Martinez and Bill Nelson.] [Visit the U.S. Senate website]
28. There are 435 voting members in the House of Representatives. [This number is figured proportionally based on state population.] [Visit the U.S. House of Representatives website]
29. For 2 years
35. The first 10 amendments to the Constitution
39. John G. Roberts, Jr. [Visit the U.S. Supreme Court website]
40. Virginia, Massachusetts, Maryland, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Hampshire, North Carolina, South Carolina, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Georgia
63. The Emancipation Proclamation freed the slaves.
75. All people living in the United States
80. The rights of freedom of religion, of speech, of the press, of assembly, and to petition the Government
89. A Republic
I paid a visit to the website of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services this morning. Ever had occasion to wonder what you’d need to do to become a citizen of the U.S., or apply for a green card, or what you’d do if you were a refugee or seeking asylum? Check out the “How Do I?” section at the USCIS site.
On this Veterans Day, I’m offering a prayer for all those who have come to the U.S., for those involved in making hugely complex decisions about immigration, and for our relationships with the wider world. A blessing upon the veterans who have given themselves to helping make this a place that people yearn to call home.
