TERRE HAUTE —
Homework can humble a parent.
Even for those who aced fifth-grade math a few (several) decades ago, the equations in a kid’s textbook may look like hieroglyphics to an adult who hasn’t done long division since John Travolta was a Sweathog. That request — “Can you help me with this problem?” — may trigger a headache and consume most of an evening, but the bonding time outweighs the frustrations.
And, that reintroduction to mathematics reminds us grownups of our own nights of erasing, and re-erasing, until the sheets of 3-ring binder notebook paper shred. We forget what it takes to be a student. Those parent-child homework sessions renew our appreciation for our own education.
On the afternoon of March 14, in a historic former federal courtroom in Terre Haute, 60 immigrants from across the planet will raise their right hands, pledge an oath of allegiance and become citizens of the United States. They have prepared for that role, American citizenship, in ways that some of us have not, or have forgotten. Many of us can’t comprehend the lengths they’ve gone to live in circumstances we often take for granted.
The local naturalization ceremony is a bit rare. Each year, the U.S. District Court Southern District of Indiana conducts 34 such events, primarily in Indianapolis, said court deputy clerk Amy McClellan. Terre Haute has been the site of a handful in recent years. The March 14 ceremony will unfold in the ornate, cavernous courtroom inside what is now the Indiana State University Scott College of Business, a massive stone structure that housed federal trials and proceedings from the Great Depression to the Great Recession.
Few of those past hearings over crimes and lawsuits featured the smiles and tears of joy expressed at a citizenship ceremony.
It would be refreshing for lifelong Americans to feel that civic euphoria.
“I think every U.S. citizen — born U.S. citizen — should witness a naturalization ceremony,” said Marilu Cabrera, spokeswoman for the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Chicago division, which covers Indiana.
Each ceremony includes an especially emotional moment for staffers of the USCIS and the federal courts, which jointly conduct the ceremonies.
Now in her 13th year on the job, Cabrera said, “I don’t know how many I’ve seen, but I am always moved to tears with every ceremony.” Recently, she invited a tough, veteran, Chicago-city-politics-tested journalist to a naturalization event. It included a Holocaust survivor from Poland who’d spent 50 years trying to find and reunite with his sister, who’d settled in the U.S. after World War II. The siblings sat side by side as the brother took his Oath of Allegiance. The reporter wept.
“He said, ‘Thank you so much for inviting me. That was incredible,’” Cabrera recalled.
McClellan mentioned another familiar scene.
“One thing that always touches me is someone who is dressed in military uniform taking the oath,” McClellan said. “Here is someone who has risked their life to fight on our behalf becoming an American citizen.”
That Oath of Allegiance contains a passage that moves Doria Lynch, outreach coordinator for the federal court in Indianapolis. In its first paragraph, immigrants renounce “all allegiance and fidelity” to the country they once called home. “I don’t think most American citizens are aware of what these new citizens are doing,” Lynch said. “They are renouncing all allegiance and fidelity to their homeland. It’s a very impactful statement.”
She’s seen men wearing suits of red, white and blue. Parents bring children dressed in those USA colors. Others show up in the clothes of their culture. Most have waited five years or more for this day. The oldest new citizen receives a U.S. flag that has flown over the Capitol. The youngest recites the Pledge of Allegiance. A representative of the Daughters of the American Revolution hands each participant a table-top flag.
At one point in the ceremony, before the soon-to-be citizens take their oath, the U.S. attorney calls the roll of their names. Many state their country of origin. India, Mexico and Central and South American nations top the diverse list. “In a sense, it’s sort of a mini-Olympics ceremony, because we have people from all over the globe,” McClellan said.
The day marks the final step toward naturalization. That process is “not easy,” Lynch said. “It’s fraught with frustrations. It tests people’s patience. It can be expensive.”
In the most common path to citizenship, a person holds a green card (as a legal resident) for five years, although many seek citizenship through parents or a spouse in the U.S. The application costs $680. (Of course, if an applicant hires an attorney to help, the cost grows.) They must pass a criminal background check. They have two chances to pass an in-person test of their ability to speak, read and write English, and their knowledge of U.S. history and government civics. If they’ve ever been married, divorced or widowed, or undergone a name change, they’ll need verifying documents. If they’ve traveled abroad since becoming a permanent resident, they’ll need documentation. And a passport. And tax returns from the past five years. And two photos.
(Also, they must be of “good moral character.” And, in addition to their rights, they accept the responsibilities of citizenship, including to “respect the rights, beliefs and opinions of others,” “participate in your local community” and “pay income taxes honestly and on time.” Reminders for us all.)
After fulfilling the five-year residency requirement, the average citizenship process lasts six months, Cabrera said, “but each case is different.
“This is not something given away for free,” she added. “This is important and significant.”
The civics and history test reflects that significance. It can humble a lifelong citizen.
Here’s a peek at a few questions (which can also be found online at www.uscis.gov) …
~ The Federalist Papers supported passage of the U.S. Constitution. Name one of the writers. (Answer: James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and “Plubius” — a Roman pseudonym used by the authors)
~ When was the Constitution written? (1787)
~ Name one of the two longest rivers in the U.S. (Missouri, Mississippi)
~ Does the judicial branch review laws, explain laws, resolve disputes or decide if a law goes against the Constitution? (All of the above)
~ Which right is only for U.S. citizens — freedom of religion, attending public school, running for federal office, or freedom of speech? (Running for federal office)
More than 90 percent of citizenship applicants pass the test, Cabrera explained.
Obviously, they do their homework.
Mark Bennett can be reached at 812-231-4377 or mark.bennett@tribstar.com.
Opinion Columns
MARK BENNETT: After years of preparation, 60 immigrants will gather in Terre Haute on March 14 to pledge their allegiance to the United States of America
- Opinion Columns
-
-
RONN MOTT: Frustration
For those who know me well, they can say without contradiction I am not a patient man. But in this hustle and bustle world I’ve been a part of all my adult life, I’ve had to learn a little patience. On occasion, however, I find some experiences extremely frustrating.
-
RONN MOTT: Rabid Republicans
The so-called news people at Fox News can hardly sit still long enough to report on the latest gossip or untruth about our sitting President. They can hardly contain themselves.
-
LIZ CIANCONE: Smell of fresh air gave way to dryers
Remember when clean clothes smelled like fresh air and sunshine rather than fabric softener and dryer sheets?
-
STATE OF THE STATEHOUSE: Is it regulation that doesn’t make sense or evening the playing field?
I’m not much of a drinker, so I haven’t spent much time thinking about how Indiana’s alcohol laws personally impact me, but that changed last fall when my daughter got married.
-
Mark Bennett: High-profile mural connects historical dots from city to river
At 96 feet wide and 2 stories tall, the power, impact and value of the Wabash will be evident.
-
RONN MOTT: Mushrooms = Hoosier happiness
Someone wrote or said a few years ago a statement that would define the word “Hoosier.” According to this urban legend, a Hoosier is somebody dribbling a basketball around the Indy 500 while eating a fried, morel mushroom. It did not define me, at the time.
-
RONN MOTT: Israel’s Air Force
Recently the Israeli Air Force bombed and rocketed a convoy leaving Syria going to Lebanon with rockets that were going to be used to attack Israel. It did not get there. It was destroyed.
-
RONN MOTT: Media merry-go-round
Round and round it goes, where it stops nobody knows. That isn’t a unique phrase to this writer or to this era in time. But, when it comes to the musical chairs of broadcasting, it certainly applies.
-
LIZ CIANCONE: Courts see a different appearance than cops
Have you ever noticed the transformation between the arrest of an accused lawbreaker and the first appearance in court?
-
MARK BENNETT: Life at face value: Mom’s simple advice still presents a valuable daily challenge
Most moms don’t base their advice on scientific research.
(Unless, of course, your mother is a scientific researcher. If so, carry a No. 2 pencil and take good notes.) -
SUSAN DUNCAN: Advice to the kids on Mother’s Day
Just so you know, now settled firmly into middle age, I think of “kids” as anyone in their 30s and younger. I also accept that many of my elders view me as an upstart whippersnapper, though snapping even my fingers nowadays can be a chore.
-
FLASHPOINT: Again in 2013 General Assembly, middle class generally ignored
Last year, the people of Indiana entrusted the Republican Party with some of their most precious possessions.
-
RONN MOTT: ‘Raccoons II’
In the Algonquin Indian language, raccoon means “working with hands.” They are really cute little fellows until they injure a child, or a pet, or leave feces around where you certainly do not want it.
-
RONN MOTT: ‘NRA Convention’
At the recent NRA Convention in Houston, Texas, where the right-wing political hot air almost lifted the convention's building off its foundation, the NRA trotted out the forever yours political dame of the right wing, Sarah Palin. Sarah did not disappoint.
-
RONN MOTT: ‘Heritage gone’
The last high school I attended was being torn down just a few days ago. I didn't learn about it until I saw classmate Dick Mills on television and a display he had put together about State football championships in the middle 1930's. I began elementary school with Dick Mills. That was Matthew South Elementary School on South Sixth Street in Clinton, Indiana. After seeing Dick on TV, it dawned on me that all schools I had attended in Clinton have been torn down.
-
LIZ CIANCONE: We always want more than we need
Washington seems more preoccupied with the unemployment rate than they are about the constant stalemate. Still with thousands out of work and the unemployment rate hovering somewhere between 7 percent and 9 percent, it does deserve more than a passing nod.
-
MARK BENNETT: Should I stay or should I go?
Some have their Bill Clinton-era Cavalier packed (with the trunk bungee-ed shut), apartment cleaned (except for the fridge), and iPhone GPS locked onto the fastest route out of Terre Haute. Others are staying — until they find a better job, or because they’re starting a career here, or because this town feels like home. In each case, a new stage of life begins today.
-
College Class of '13 gets a little extra advice
Local college grads will hear commencement speakers offer life and career advice this month. We’re offering them an extra dose here from folks who’ve found success in various vocations and regions of the nation. Many have Terre Haute roots.
-
RONN MOTT: Things that go bump in the night
I live in a very old house. There are all kinds of noises that occur, especially at night, or so it seems. Aside from the various creaks and pops from old wooden floors and walls when the furnace heats up and sends warm air into the rooms, we, my wife and I, have heard other noises.
-
RONN MOTT: Around the dial
At lunch the other day with Terry Tevlin (First Financial Bank), I bumped into Dale Mahurin. I hadn’t talked to Dale in a long time and inquired about his wife, Julie Henricks.
Julie has returned to the radio microphone doing a weekend gig on Mix FM. For fans of Julie’s show on WTWO-TV, don’t worry, she’s not leaving … just multi-tasking. Welcome back to the radio airwaves, Julie! -
ANDREA NEAL: Newspaper journalists still make a difference
A recent survey ranked newspaper reporter as the worst career of 2013, just below meter reader and lumberjack, but you wouldn’t guess it from the stories told by journalists who gathered in Bloomington to see six of their own inducted into the Indiana Journalism Hall of Fame.
-
RONN MOTT: George Jones
I got to Nashville in the early ’70s, hired by John Patton, who had been a DJ for WBOW earlier in his career. Then, he was managing WMAK in Nashville and I was promised a top sales list and received the yellow pages (many a promise like this has happened to people in this business). I also did sports commentary for the morning man and would ultimately do a season of play-by-play and a short TV schedule for Tennessee State.
-
LIZ CIANCONE: Old age is in email of the beholder
My Best Friend isn’t much for writing letters, so email has opened a new world for him. He can dash off a few words to a high school friend or his college roommate — now living in Florida and Washington State,
-
MARK BENNETT: Spirited response to a rising river
The power within the Wabash revealed itself last week.
-
FLASHPOINT: Time has arrived for overhaul of TV news
Former FCC Chairman Alfred Sikes gave an address in 1992 in which he claimed television news was too superficial and too focused on visuals.
-
RONN MOTT: Remembering Pat Summerall
I don’t remember how I first became aware of Pat Summerall, but the first time I heard him was on a New York radio station (WCBS, I think). He was doing the sports for the morning man and exchanging some opinions about sports and such with him.
-
RONN MOTT: What I don’t know
I was watching a segment on the History Channel the other night while I waited for the end of “The Big Bang Theory” and a show I had seen before. It was “Sex in History.” And the two segments I watched were about Ben Franklin and Howard Hughes.
-
RONN MOTT: You, me, and the Muslim world
I don’t know how to do this. I’m a fairly intelligent human being, but the events of the past week in Boston have turned me emotionally inside out. It’s more than the people who died, it’s more than the people who were injured … some permanently,
-
LIZ CIANCONE: A memory test from the oldtime radio days
For some reason, I seem to be the go-to source for all sorts of obscure information out at the Wabash Valley Family Sports Center.
-
MARK BENNETT: Littered with irony: Why do people callously discard their trash, and who are they?
Though they aren’t acknowledged by the U.S. Census Bureau, there are basically two demographic groups of people … Those who would dump their old toilet on the banks of the Wabash River or a rural roadside. And those who wouldn’t.
- More Opinion Columns Headlines
-
Bridge Collapse Survivor: 'Rough Day'
Officials: Tsarnaev Friend Linked to Slaying
Raw: Trucker Bumps I-5 Bridge Before Collapse
Major Detours Following Wash. Bridge Collapse
Jersey Shore Open for Business
Raw: Texas Deputy Shot by Colo. Suspect Honored
Raw Video: Washington State Bridge Collapse
Officials: Truck Hit Bridge Before Collapse
American Held in Grisly Czech Murders
Obama:Sexual Assault Threatens Trust in Military
First Person: Mom Discusses Famous Tornado Photo
Raw: Memorial Day Flags Placed at Arlington
Raw: Jersey Shore Reopens for Summer
UK-bound Pakistan Plane Diverted, 2 Men Arrested
New Wheelchair Lift Promises More Access
Raw: Scuffles in London After Hacking Death
Boy Scouts Approve Plan to Accept Gay Boys
Johnson: Don't Blame Islam or UK Policy
Sheriff: No Sign Killing of 2 Kids Was Planned
Two Suspects in Murder Known to London Police
AK-47-wielding thug may be the most bumbling crook ever
Oklahoma Survivors, Heroes Survey Damage
Trout's cycle a boost for Angels
Raw: New Video of Deadly Oklahoma Tornado
Kim Kardashian Flaunts Pregnant Bikini Body in Greece
NBA star pledges $1M to help tornado recovery
Shakira's Shocking Talent
Morgan Freeman falls asleep on air
GRAPHIC: Blood-Soaked Machete Killer Caught on Tape
Elin Nordegren Furious With Lindsey Vonn For Parading Kids in Public
Camera Captures Climber As He Loses Grip And Falls
Helen Mirren Meets with Dying Boy in Queen Elizabeth's Place
Crowd Chants '¡Si, Se Puede!' After Passage of Immigration Bill
DWTS Crowns a Winner
Police Ram House to End Hostage Standoff
Demi Moore a Rocks Bikini at Harry Morton's Family House
Anthony Weiner: I'm running for New York City mayor
Kate Middleton's Dress Flies Up
VIRAL: Baby makes epic soccer goal
The Hangover Baby All Grown Up
