For Some, Free Citizenship Classes; For Others, a Dream Delayed Again

I'm Alex Villarreal with the VOA Special English Education Report, from voaspecialenglish.com | facebook.com/voalearningenglish Americans talk a lot about illegal immigration but not as much about legal immigration. Legal immigrants who want to become citizens must learn English and show a knowledge of American history and government. They must also pay a fee and meet other requirements. Immigrants may take citizenship classes to help them prepare for the naturalization test. Last year, thirteen groups received a total of just over one million dollars from the government to offer these classes. This year, that support has grown to almost eight million dollars. The money is going to seventy-five organizations across the country. Now many classes are being offered free of charge through a program supported by United States Citizenship and Immigration Services. Alejandro Mayorkas is the agency's director. He says the agency wants to make it easier for people to become American citizens. Elsy Ventura from El Salvador paid one hundred dollars to take a class near Washington. She says it is a lot of money for her to pay. She is a single mother who supports her own mother. But her goal is to become an American. She says she wants to have rights like anybody else in this country.Other immigrants share that goal. But for some young people, hopes of citizenship were recently blocked in Congress for the fifth time in ten years. The United States has an estimated eleven million illegal immigrants. About two million of them arrived as children brought by their parents. A measure known as the Dream Act would put these children of undocumented immigrants on a path toward citizenship instead of possible expulsion. In return, they would have to show "good moral character" and graduate from high school. They would also have to complete two years of college or serve in the military. "Dream" is short for Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors. Some conservatives say it could increase illegal border crossings at a time when many Americans want stronger controls. But the idea gained support among conservatives and liberals, the military and education leaders. Still, the measure died in September in the Senate, where it was tied to a bill to let homosexuals serve openly in the military. Political observers do not expect Congress to consider the Dream Act again before congressional elections in November. But they do expect supporters to keep trying in the future. For VOA Special English I'm Alex Villarreal. (Adapted from a radio program broadcast 30Sept2010)