Posted on 06/11/2007 1:46:24 PM PDT by 2banana
What does it mean to be a true American?
By GEMA MARIA DUARTE Bucks County Courier Times
EDITOR'S NOTE: Reporter Gema Mara Duarte will write about her journey to become a United States citizen as she moves through the process.
OK. It's confession time.
I haven't studied for my citizenship test since I filed for American citizenship on April 2. I went to my finger-printing appointment in Philadelphia in May and now I'm waiting for another appointment to take a U.S. history test.
I have printed out the 100 questions and answers. I have taken a glance at them, and they don't seem too hard.
I need a study buddy to get me going.
Actually, I challenged Lower Southampton solicitor Mike Savona to take the test without looking at the questions before hand.
He agreed.
It's on. You and me, Savona.
Let's see how good a citizen he is.
I have to say in the last couple of weeks I have been giving my citizenship process more thought.
I spoke to Grace Fu Jia Xiang Kennedy, a 6-year-old Washington Crossing resident. She was adopted from China by an American family and became an American citizen in March.
She didn't have to take the test. Lucky her.
I spoke to her over the phone a couple of weeks ago.
“I feel closer to my parents,” she said about being an American citizen.
“What are you Chinese or American?” I asked.
“I'm Chinese-American,” she responded.
When Grace received her citizenship certificate, she cried because she had to give up her green card.
Grace got me thinking about my own situation.
Then on Memorial Day, I covered the Veterans of Foreign Wars John Billington Post 6495 ceremony. Tullytown Councilman Joe Shellenberger was the guest speaker. He had recently returned from serving in Afghanistan as an Air Force reservist.
He told me he would never regret serving his country in the U.S. military.
Another thing I won't ever forget since I don't even have a country.
I was born in Nicaragua, but I mostly learned about my culture from my parents and a couple of vacations to Nicaragua. I wasn't born in the United States, but live here.
I feel like an orphan.
Will I consider myself Nicaraguan-American like Grace describes herself as Chinese-American?
I have been thinking about this for weeks and I still don't have an answer.
I know more about American history than Nicaraguan history, though. Does that count for anything? Maybe I'm already American?
Or maybe I'll just let the Department of Homeland Security U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services figure it out for me.
OK, I better start studying.
Gema Maria Duarte can be reached at 215-949-4195 or gduarte@phillyBurbs.com.
“A good test taker knows answers to some questions may be found inside other questions.”
I agree, but to put the answer to one question in the next is an obvious attempt to GIVE the test taker the answers.
Here's some examples of the new test they're working on
“I never really, really appreciated my country, America, until I married my husband who escaped Cuba right after Castro assumed power. Then I saw America through his eyes and he loves America and the American people. His English was pretty good, but he went to Hunter College in New York to perfect his English and get rid of his accent. If someone asks him where he comes from he names our hometown. He is AMERICAN period. No hyphen at all.”
Awesome. :)
We can’t get enough immigrants like your hubby.
Theodore Roosevelt’s ideas on Immigrants and being an AMERICAN in 1907. “In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person’s becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American...There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn’t an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag... We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language... and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people.” - Theodore Roosevelt 1907
btt
9. What is the 4th of July?
The Day that the "Declaration of Independence" was adopted. Independence was actually declared on July 2nd.
10. What is the date of Independence Day?
Observed on July 4th, but it should be July 2nd.
11. Independence from whom?
The Kingdom of England and Scotland.
12. What country did we fight during the Revolutionary War?
The United Kingdom/England. However, we also fought a number of Indian tribes.
13. Who was the first President of the United States?
Peyton Randolph was the first President of the Continental Congress
Samuel Huntington was the first President of the United States in Congress Assembled
George Washington was the first President under the Constitution of the United States
16. Who elects the President of the United States?
The Electoral College
18. For how long do we elect the President?
The elections seem to get longer every time!
19. What is the Constitution?
It should be the governing rules of this country. However, these days it is whater the Supreme Court, Congress and the Media wants it to be.
20. Can the Constitution be changed?
Seems to happen all the time.
21. What do we call a change to the Constitution?
Bribe our Oligarchs?
22. How many changes or amendments are there to the Constitution?
27 written, pluss whatever the governing class wants.
23. How many branches are there in our government? 5. The Judiciary, Executive, Congress, Bureaucracy, Media-Education complex.
24. What are the three branches of our government?
A myth.
25. What is the legislative branch of our government? Not printable in a family forum.
26. Who makes the laws in the United States?
Competing interests within the governing class, dependant on the supervision of the Supreme Court.
27. What is the Congress?
Not printable.
28. What are the duties of Congress?
In theory, see Article I.
29. Who elects the Congress?
The Corporations and governing class.
31. Can you name the two senators from your state?
No. I only have Charles Schumer. The Senatrix "from New York" is a native of Illinois and a carpetbagging ****h.
32. For how long do we elect each senator?
Campain begins when the New York Times says it does.
33. How many representatives are there in Congress?
I can only think of about 150 representatives of the American people.
34. For how long do we elect the representatives?
We???
35. What is the executive branch of our government?
The President and Secretaries.
36. What is the judiciary branch of our government?
Unaccountable Judicial Oligarchs.
37. What are the duties of the Supreme Court?
To redefine the Constitution as they see fit.
38. What is the supreme court law of the United States? ??
39. What is the Bill of Rights?
A contrivance.
46. Which countries were our enemies during World War II?
We were at war with Japan, Germany, and Italy. However, The USSR was an enemy.
48. How many terms can the President serve?
After 1952? 2 terms. Before then, unlimited.
49. Who was Martin Luther King, Jr.?
A secular saint and liberal idiot.
55. Why did the Pilgrims come to America?
Because they found the Netherlands to liberal and Oliver Cromwell had not offed King Charles I yet.
61. What is the basic belief of the Declaration of Independence?
The main belief? There are quite a few. Men are born with certain rights and can rebel if the government become injurious to these? 64. Where does freedom of speech come from?
British common law?
69. What did the Emancipation Declaration do?
Promise freedom to slaves not actually under American control.
78. What kind of government does the United States have? A Republic.
79. Which President freed the slaves? Grant did the freeing. Lincoln just promised. 82. Name one purpose of the United Nations?
To control us.
84. Whose rights are guaranteed by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights?
Those of the people and of the states.
87. What is the most important right granted to U.S. citizens?
Isn't this a matter of opinion?
I would say voting, but my vote doesn't count for much. I would say owning a gun, but I live in New York city. I would say Freedom of Speech, but that doesn't exist.
92. Name the right guaranteed by the first amendment.
The Federal Government may not declare a national religion (although it has, secular humanism), it may not infringe on free speech (except that it does), freedom of the press, and we can beg to be listened to.
95. In what month do we vote for the President?
"We"? This test is taken by non-citizens. Also most citizens never vote for president. We vote for electors.
I wish question 100 was. What will be your nationality if you pass this test?
If it is anything HYPHEN American, it should be an automatic FAIL.
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