Experiences of a Volunteer Citizenship Mentor

I volunteered to become a Citizenship Mentor in January of 2007. In March I was matched with Juan, an immigrant from Mexico, who has been a legal resident in the United States since 1996. We had an introductory meeting in the One-Stop Immigrant Information Office and it was clear that Juan had good spoken English. I thought my main role in preparing Juan for his citizenship interview would be helping him learn the U.S. History and Civics information needed to pass that portion of the interview. During that initial meeting we gave him a copy of the Quick Civics Lessons with an accompanying CD to help him study and a set of flash cards containing the 96 questions he would need to be able to answer.

A week or so later when we met to study for the first time Juan told me he didn't read or write very well. I quickly discovered he had attended school for less than a year in Mexico. He had never learned to read or write in Spanish. Since coming to America he has worked at a restaurant where he is now an assistant manager, a position that includes placing orders via the computer. He could read food related terms, but not simple sentences. As we worked on the Civics/History questions he learned to read them from the flash cards by reading the cards as he listened to the CD.

Juan works two full-time jobs, maintains a home and cares for his family. He was frequently tired from a day of work when we met to study. But he was very determined to learn the necessary information and tasks to pass the citizenship interview. In April he completed the N-400 application form and submitted it. We initially met at Bemis Library twice per week for 1½ - 2 hours per session. In addition to practicing the flashcard questions we also worked on reading them and the sample sentences from the USCIS web-site. I wrote various other sentences and paragraphs of information for him to practice reading. Later we added writing to our sessions. I also had him read simple children's books about history/civics and others books I felt he could read successfully. It was a joy to work with such a motivated student and see the progress he was making.

In early October Juan received a letter setting a late November interview date - and we began meeting three times per week. By this time he knew the answers to all the civics and history questions and we focused on reading and writing. We also reviewed the answers to the N-400 and prepared the documentation he needed to take to his interview.

The morning of the interview we met for breakfast and then went to the USCIS office. After waiting for 1½ hours he was called for his interview and I waited. As more than half an hour passed I realized that things must not be going well. I was concerned we had not been able to spend adequate time on writing. Juan had made tremendous progress since we had begun studying - but the challenge he had undertaken was great. After an hour his interview was completed. He had successfully answered the civics/history questions, and the speaking and reading parts of the English test. His interview was being continued to a later date (in approximately 60 days) when he would be given another opportunity to pass the written part of the test and provide a couple documents he had not had available for the first interview.

So, our three times per week study sessions continued and we focused on writing. He gathered the requested documents. A letter from USCIS gave the next interview date the end of January. Juan continued making good progress in his writing skills and I felt confident he could pass.

The morning of the second interview brought snow packed roads and major traffic delays. We were half an hour late for the interview and again waited about 1½ hours before he was called for his interview. This time it was very brief as he showed the officer the requested documents and wrote the three sentences she dictated for him. All the hard work paid off! Juan successfully completed his interview! Now we are looking forward to his Naturalization Oath Ceremony and Celebration.

It has been a tremendous blessing to me to help Juan achieve these important goals. Because of the immigration and accompanying sacrifices of my own great-grandparents and grandparents, I had the good fortune to be born in the United States, attend a good public school system and receive a bachelor's degree from a major university (the first in my family). Juan was born into a large, poor, uneducated family in Mexico and rather than attending school he worked to help his family survive. Neither of us got to chose where we were born and the privileges or hardships that would dictate. I cannot imagine what my life would be like without the ability to read and write, or the rights and privileges that come with being born an American. I believe that "unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required." It is only as we invest in helping others overcome the obstacles they face that we are able to build a strong nation in which we can each experience the "unalienable rights (of) life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."

Jan Masters, Citizenship Mentor

Note that not all mentors teach their students to read and write.

Comments from Juan:

I am very happy and proud that you guys helped me a lot. I would have never believed there are people who would help for free and spend so much time helping immigrants like me. I am very proud of myself for all the stuff that I have been doing. I feel very lucky to find people like you and the rest of the people in the office, like Ale, who helps everyone. It is very important for immigrants to become citizens because then you can have a voice in the government and you can vote. I am very, very happy for everything that has happened to me this year to become a citizen - it is the best thing that has happened to me in my life.