USCIS Chinese-Language Public Meeting Feb 16

USCIS - Chinese-Language Public Engagement invites you to attend the first national Chinese-language public engagement at the San Francisco Field Office on Thursday, February. 16, 2012 at 10:30AM - 12:00 PM (PST). See: www.uscis.gov/jiaoliu or video.

West Wing Week: 2/10/12 or "Don't Be Bored...Make Something"

wh.gov: West Wing Week: 2/10/12 or "Don't Be Bored...Make Something"

Welcome to the West Wing Week, your guide to everything that's happening at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. This week, the President happily kicked off the Second Annual Science Fair at the White House and continued to call for an all-hands-on-deck approach to educating our kids in the fields of math, science, technology and engineering. He also spoke about putting our veterans back to work at Fire Station #5 in Arlington, announced a $25 billion agreement to help homeowners and hold big banks accountable, and unveiled yet another We Can't Wait initiative to encourage states to raise standards and reform schools. That's February 3rd to February 9th, or "Don't Be Bored...Make Something."

USCIS 100:65 The Constitutional Convention, the Great Compromise, and Slavery

100:65. What happened at the Constitutional Convention?

Happy African-American History Month!

Today we will study USCIS 100:65. What happened at the Constitutional Convention?

We will first read about Q65 from the USCIS M638 quick civics lesson. Then we will talk about the Constitutional convention, the Great Compromise, the 3/5ths clause, and the 1808 Prohibition of the Importation of African slaves. We will also learn about the Northwest Ordinance and will read about a slave mother's daring escape across an icy Ohio River

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The Northwest Ordinance prohibited slavery in the new states and established the Ohio River as the border between slave and free states between Appalachian mountains and east of the Mississippi river. Here is a scene from a famous novel, Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe. To save her child from being sold away from her, a slave mother carries her child across an icy Ohio River .


To escape across the Ohio river carrying the child, were the first hurried outline of her plan of escape; beyond that, she could only hope in God.

An hour before sunset, she entered the village of T——, by the Ohio river, weary and foot-sore, but still strong in heart. Her first glance was at the river, which lay, like Jordan, between her and the Canaan of liberty on the other side.

It was now early spring, and the river was swollen and turbulent; great cakes of floating ice were swinging heavily to and fro in the turbid waters...Eliza stood, for a moment, contemplating this unfavorable aspect of things...

A thousand lives seemed to be concentrated in that one moment to Eliza. Her room opened by a side door to the river. She caught her child, and sprang down the steps towards it. The trader caught a full glimpse of her just as she was disappearing down the bank; and throwing himself from his horse, and calling loudly on Sam and Andy, he was after her like a hound after a deer. In that dizzy moment her feet to her scarce seemed to touch the ground, and a moment brought her to the water's edge. Right on behind they came; and, nerved with strength such as God gives only to the desperate, with one wild cry and flying leap, she vaulted sheer over the turbid current by the shore, on to the raft of ice beyond. It was a desperate leap—impossible to anything but madness and despair; and Haley, Sam, and Andy, instinctively cried out, and lifted up their hands, as she did it.

The huge green fragment of ice on which she alighted pitched and creaked as her weight came on it, but she staid there not a moment. With wild cries and desperate energy she leaped to another and still another cake; stumbling—leaping—slipping—springing upwards again! Her shoes are gone—her stockings cut from her feet—while blood marked every step; but she saw nothing, felt nothing, till dimly, as in a dream, she saw the Ohio side, and a man helping her up the bank.

"Yer a brave gal, now, whoever ye ar!" said the man.

USCIS 100:69 George Washington, Phillis Wheatley, and Columbia

USCIS 100:69. Who is the “Father of Our Country”?

Happy African American History Month! Today we continue our new series about the USCIS 100qs and African-American History. Today we will study USCIS 100:69. Who is the “Father of Our Country”?

We will first read about USCIS 100:69 from the USCIS M638 quick civics lesson. Then We will talk about General George Washington, an African-American poet Phillis Wheatly, and we will find out who is Columbia. Let’s get started!

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To His Excellency General Washington
by Phillis Wheatley

Celestial choir! enthron’d in realms of light,
Columbia’s scenes of glorious toils I write.
While freedom’s cause her anxious breast alarms,
She flashes dreadful in refulgent arms.
See mother earth her offspring’s fate bemoan,
And nations gaze at scenes before unknown!
See the bright beams of heaven’s revolving light
Involved in sorrows and veil of night!
The goddess comes, she moves divinely fair,
Olive and laurel bind her golden hair:
Wherever shines this native of the skies,
Unnumber’d charms and recent graces rise.
Muse! bow propitious while my pen relates
How pour her armies through a thousand gates,
As when Eolus heaven’s fair face deforms,
Enwrapp’d in tempest and a night of storms;
Astonish’d ocean feels the wild uproar,
The refluent surges beat the sounding shore;
Or thick as leaves in Autumn’s golden reign,
Such, and so many, moves the warrior’s train.
In bright array they seek the work of war,
Where high unfurl’d the ensign waves in air.
Shall I to Washington their praise recite?
Enough thou knw’st them in the fields of fight.
Thee, first in peace and honours,—we demand
The grace and glory of thy martial band.
Fam’d for thy valour, for thy virtues more,
Hear every tongue thy guardian aid implore!
One century scarce perform’d its destined round,
When Gallic powers Columbia’s fury found;
And so may you, whoever dares disgrace
The land of freedom’s heaven-defended race!
Fix’d are the eyes of nations on the scales,
For in their hopes Columbia’s arm prevails.
Anon Britannia droops the pensive head,
While round increase the rising hills of dead.
Ah! cruel blindness to Columbia’s state!
Lament thy thirst of boundless power too late.
Proceed, great chief, with virtue on thy side,
Thy ev’ry action let the goddess guide.
A crown, a mansion, and a throne that shine,
With gold unfading, WASHINGTON! be thine.

Also check-out VOA Learning English: Phillis Wheatley, 1753-1784: Early African-American Poet

Born in West Africa, she was kidnapped and brought to North America on a slave ship PEOPLE IN AMERICA (download mp3)

USCIS 100:62 the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson, and Sally Hemings

USCIS 100:62. Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?

Happy African American History Month! Today we continue our new series about the USCIS 100qs and African-American History. Today we will study USCIS100:62. Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?

We will first read about Q62 from the USCIS M638 quick civics lesson. Then we will talk about Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemmings—life, liberty, happiness, and the on going creation of equality.

USCIS 100:62. Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?

▪ (Thomas) Jefferson

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PHOTO: A Declaration of (In)Dependence: The Story of Sally Hemings, a dance/theatre performance by Gesel Mason Performance Projects

West Wing Week: 2/03/12 or "Riding the Advanced Technology Superhighway"

wh.gov: West Wing Week: 2/03/12 or "Riding the Advanced Technology Superhighway"

Welcome to the West Wing Week, your guide to everything that's happening at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. This week, the President made history by holding the first completely virtual interview on Google +. He also tackled the rising cost of tuition at the University of Michigan, welcomed the President of Georgia, convened a cabinet meeting, stopped by the Auto Show, announced a major refinancing plan for responsible homeowners, and attended the National Prayer Breakfast. That's January 27th to February 2nd or "Riding the Advanced Technology Superhighway."

USCIS 100:61 Colonists, Taxes, Crispus Attuks, Lemuel Haynes, and the American Revolutionary War

USCIS 100:61. Why did the colonists fight the British?

Crispus Attuks died during the Boston Massacre

Happy African American History Month! Today we continue our new series about the USCIS 100qs and African-American History. Today we will study USCIS 100:61. Why did the colonists fight the British? We will study about the colonists, taxes, Crispus Attuks, the Boston Massacre. We will read a poem by Lemuel Haynes about the Minutemen at the Battle of Lexington and Concord. Finally we will talk about the American Patriots, 1st Rhode Island Regiment, the British Loyalists, and the Ethiopian Regiment.

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USCIS 100:61. Why did the colonists fight the British?

• because of high taxes (taxation without representation)
• because the British army stayed in their houses (boarding, quartering)
• because they didn’t have self-government

USCIS 100:60 Slaves, Slavery, and Olaudah Equiano

USCIS 100:60. What group of people was taken to America and sold as slaves?

Olaudah Equiano was kidnapped from Africa and sold as a slave.

He wrote about a slave woman who had to an iron muzzle and other horrors of slavery.

Happy African American History Month! Today we begin a new series about the USCIS 100qs and African-American History. Today we will study USCIS 100:60. What group of people was taken to America and sold as slaves? and read a description about slavery from Olaudah Equiano.

• download mp3

Learn more about African American History Month at AfricanAmericanHistoryMonth.gov

West Wing Week: 1/27/12 or "The State of the Union Edition"

West Wing Week: 1/27/12 or "The State of the Union Edition"

Welcome to the West Wing Week, your guide to everything that's happening at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. This week, the President prepared for and delivered his State of the Union Address, welcomed the Boston Bruins to the White House, and took his message West to Iowa, Arizona, Nevada, and Colorado. That's January 20th to January 26th or "The Special State of the Union Edition of 2012."

Obama Touts Economic Plan in State of the Union Address

VOAVideo: Obama Touts Economic Plan in State of the Union Address

As he faces a tough re-election campaign, President Barack Obama devoted much of his annual State of the Union address Tuesday night to his plan to speed the U.S. economic recovery. VOA White House correspondent Kent Klein reports.