Why Is Becoming a U.S. Citizen So Hard Now?

250 to 250 is on a short break because I am working at our local voting center.

 

PBS Documentaries and Arizona PBS: Why Is Becoming a U.S. Citizen So Hard Now? 

The path to U.S. citizenship extends far beyond passing a civics test. For many applicants, the real challenges are financial, legal, and emotional. The stories of civics tutors and legal experts reveal how naturalization requirements were shaped, how they continue to evolve, and the unseen barriers to becoming a U.S. citizen.

CATESOL 2026: CIV-IG: The Civics and Citizenship Education Interest Group Business Meeting

CIV-IG: The Civics and Citizenship Education Interest Group Business Meeting  goggle slides | pdf

• Jennifer Gagliardi . gagliajn@gmail.com 
• Dr. Patricia Hernandez . pati.prof@runbox.com

CATESOL 2026: Rising Together: Immigrant Rights and Civics Educators Panel

CATESOL 2026: Rising Together: Immigrant Rights and Civics Educators Panel  goggle slides | pdf

• Jennifer Gagliardi . gagliajn@gmail.com 
• Dr. Patricia Hernandez . pati.prof@runbox.com
• Ryan Detwiler, MFA·  ryandetwiler@eslvideo.com
• Marc Santamaria · marc@usimmigrationplan.com 

Know Your Rights Fall 2026: A Handout for ESL Teachers Prepared by the Refugee Concerns Interest Group (RC-IG), CATESOL · catesolrc@catesol.org and Marc Santamaria, Immigration Attorney and ESL Teacher · marc@usimmigrationplan.com  (new resource)

• Google Doc |  PDF 

 

Carol Basilio (ESL Teacher at SDCCD): Immigrant Student Safety Action Plan - a smartphone-friend student-facing guide

ILRC: "Character Reference for Naturalization"  https://www.ilrc.org/resources/character-reference-naturalization (download the pdf)

FTC: How Myriam and Pedro Learn about Notario Scams English | Spanish

• This fotonovela tells readers the warning signs of a notario scam, where to find help with the immigration process, and how to report scams to the Federal Trade Commission.
• Also see more FTC Fotonovelos English | Spanish

CATESOL 2026

CATESOL 2026 is here!  To view the CATESOL26 program, you have 2 choices:

• Download the free CATESOL Community App (iphone and android)

• Use the web-based version of the CATESOL26 Program

CHECK BACK AT 1 PM FOR "Rising Together: Immigrant Rights and Civics Educators Panel (CIV-IG and RC-IC)" SLIDEDECK

Join us at these sessions:
**FRI 9:00 - 9:45 AM From CATESOL to Capitol Hill: Advocating for Multilingual Learners
Amanda Simons, Margarita Machado-Casas, Inyuva Flores Garcia

FRI 12:45-1:30 CATESOL IG Expo in gym (IG reps hand out flyers about their IG with QR code)

FRI 1:30 - 2:30 PM Rising Together: Immigrant Rights and Civics Educators Panel (CIV-IG and RC-IC)
Jennifer Gagliardi, Patricia Hernandez, Ryan Detwiler, Marc Santamaria

FRI 1:30 - 2:30 PM Purposeful Play for Meaningful ESOL Learning
Sherry MacKay

FRI 3:30 - 4:30 PM Paper to Smartphone: A Realia Toolkit for Civic, Health, and Financial Literacy
Talley Caruso, Jennifer Gagliardi, Johanna Gleason

SAT IG Breakfast Meet-Up (for IG leaders).  Contact IG Coordinator olearydavidf@gmail.com

SAT 12:45 - 1:30 PM CIV-IG: The Civics and Citizenship Education Interest Group Business Meeting
Jennifer Gagliardi and Patricia Hernandez

SAT 12:45 - 1:30 PM Refugee Concerns Interest Group Business Meeting/Networking Session
Sherry Mackay, Talley Caruso, Marc Santamaria

SAT 3:30 - 4:30 PM  Pause, Breathe, Rise: Supporting Yourself and Your Refugee Learners
Talley Caruso, Sherry Mackay

SAT 5:00 - 6:00 Town Hall & Board Meeting: Looking Ahead Together
Dr Popal & Song Hong (open to all)

Democrats Won the Midterms. Here's What Comes Next.

Wall Street Journal: Democrats Won the Midterms. Here's What Comes Next.

In 2026 midterm election, Democrats won the House of Representatives and Senate.

• Democrats can now limit President Trump's power.
• Trump said he might work with Democrats.
• Trump can veto laws he does not like.
• Democrats want to lower prices.
• Democrats want to investigate government corruption.
• Republicans must decide whether to continue supporting Trump.
• Some Republicans are already thinking about the 2028 presidential election.
• Both parties must decide how to work together or disagree during Trump's final two years in office.

Midterms and the Legislative Branch

250 to 250 is on a short break because I am working at our local voting center.

Created with MS Image Designer; edited by Jennifer Gagliardi, 2026-11-04 9 am

AP U.S. Midterm Election Results 

Political Parties (100Qs)

• 45.  What are the two major political parties in the United States?*

Introduction to the Legislative Branch (128Qs)

• 18.   What part of the federal government writes laws?
• 19.   What are the two parts of the U.S. Congress?
• 20.   Name one power of the U.S. Congress. *

The Senate (128Qs)

• 21.   How many U.S. senators are there?
• 22.   How long is a term for a U.S. senator?
• 23.   Who is one of your state s U.S. senators now?
• Who is your newly-elected US Senator?
• 27.   How many senators does each state have?
• 28.   Why does each state have two senators?
• 31.   Who does a U.S. senator represent?
• 32.   Who elects U.S. senators?

The House of Representatives (128Qs)

• 24.   How many voting members are in the House of Representatives?
• 25.   How long is a term for a member of the House of Representatives?
• 26.   Why do U.S. representatives serve shorter terms than U.S. senators?
• 29.   Name your U.S. representative. 
• Name your newly-elected U.S. Representative.
• 30.   What is the name of the Speaker of the House of Representatives now? 
• What is the name of the projected Speaker of the House of Representatives?
• 33.   Who does a member of the House of Representatives represent?
• 34.   Who elects members of the House of Representatives? 
• 35.   Some states have more representatives than other states. Why?

Federal and State Powers (128Qs)

• 58.   Name one power that is only for the federal government.
• 59.   Name one power that is only for the states.
• 60.   What is the purpose of the 10th Amendment?
• 61.   Who is the governor of your state now? * 
• Name your newly-elected Governor.
• 62.   What is the capital of your state?

Voting and Mideterm Elections 2026

250 to 250 is on a short break because I am working at our local voting center.

uscitizenpod: Scripts and Quizzes (100 Civics Qs)

• Election ABCs google slides / video (substitute Midterms for Media)
• Electoral College Citizenship Quizzes: Part 1: U.S. Civics mp3/ pdf |  Part 2: U.S. History mp3 / pdf
• A Quick Interview Based on the N-400r plus 10qs about Voting and Elections pdf and mp3
• American Women who Fought for the Right to Vote  pdf
• Interview E-1 (N-400 focus on voting and residence)
• N-400 Part 9: Questions 1 and 2: General

uscitizenpod: 128 Civics Qs 

• 32.   Who elects U.S. senators?
• 34.   Who elects members of the House of Representatives? 
• 36.   The President of the United States is elected for how many years? * 
• 49.   Why is the Electoral College important?
• 63.   There are four amendments to the U.S. Constitution about who can vote. Describe one of them. 
  
• 64.   Who can vote in federal elections, run for federal office, and serve on a jury in the United States?
• 69.   What are two examples of civic participation in the United States?
• 98.   When did all men get the right to vote?
• 99.   Name one leader of the women's rights movement in the 1800s.
• 102.   When did all women get the right to vote? 
• 112.   What did the civil rights movement do?

uscitizenpod: 250 to 250 series

• 250 to 250: 17. Fannie Lou Hamer, Narrated by Monica Land
• 250 to 250:115. Voting Rights Act, Narrated by Kevin M. Kruse

More Resources:

• COABE: Voter Resources (focused on 2026 midterms; few videos)
• Preparing for the Oath: Voting (100 civics questions)
• USCIS:    Equality and Freedom (BL) | Rights and Responsibilities (IL)
• Voting and Election Resources for Adult Students  long link | bit.ly/voting-padlet (focused on 2024 election; many videos)

All Saints and Day of the Dead

All Saints and Day of the Dead are part of a 3-day festival that remembers the lives of those who passed before us.  Here is a short list of notable Americans who were declared venerable/beatified (honored on Nov 1, All Saints Day) or died (remembered Nov 2, All Souls Day) during the year.  Try to think about the civics questions associated with each person.  While wating for year's quiz, check out the previous years' Citizenship Quiz for All Saints and Day of the Dead. 

Nov 14, 2025 Alice Wong, 51, American disability rights activist, complications from an infection.

Dec 30, 2025 Ben Nighthorse Campbell, 92, American politician, member of the U.S. Senate (1993–2005) and House of Representatives (1987–1993).

January 7, 2026, Renée Nicole Macklin Good, a 37-year-old American woman, was shot by ICE in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

January 20 Louva Dahozy, 99, American Navajo rights activist in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

January 24, Alex Pretti, 37, American nurse, shot by ICE 

Feb 5 Troy Poteete, 70, American Cherokee politician.

Feb 17 Jesse Jackson, 84, American civil rights activist and politician, founder of Rainbow/PUSH.

Feb 19 Joanne Bland, 72, American civil rights activist, co-founder of the National Voting Rights Museum.

Mar 6 Lolo Matalasi Moliga, 78, American Samoan politician, governor of American Samoa (2013–2021).

Apr 26 Dirk Kempthorne, 74, American politician, member of the U.S. Senate (1993–1999), governor of Idaho (1999–2006) and secretary of the interior (2006–2009), colon cancer.

May 17 Brenda Travis, 81, American civil rights campaigner

May 19 Barney Frank, 86, American politician, member of the U.S. House of Representatives (1981–2013), heart failure.

Jun 7 Gordon S. Wood, 92, American historian (The Radicalism of the American Revolution, Empire of Liberty: A History of the Early Republic, 1789–1815), Pulitzer Prize winner (1993), traffic collision.

Jun 14 Beatrice Lumpkin, 107, American union organizer, activist and writer

June 18 declared venerable Mother Mary Teresa Tallon, foundress of the Parish Visitors of Mary Immaculate

July 11 Lindsey Graham, 71, American politician, member of the U.S. Senate (since 2003) and House of Representatives (1995–2003), aortic dissection complicated by arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease

Aug 25 Dolly Parton, 80, American Hall of Fame singer-songwriter ("Jolene", "I Will Always Love You") and actress (9 to 5), eleven-time Grammy winner, cancer.

Aug 31 Wendell Berry, 92, American novelist and essayist (The Unsettling of America)

Sept 2 Gloria Steinem, 92, American feminist and journalist (New York, Ms.), co-founder of the Women's Media Center.

Sept 5 Robin Morgan, 85, American poet, writer (Sisterhood Is Powerful) and feminist, co-founder of the Women's Media Center, complications from Parkinson's disease.

Sept 15 Annie Dillard, 81, American writer (Tickets for a Prayer Wheel, Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, The Maytrees), Pulitzer Prize winner (1975).

Sept 16 Peter Max, 88, German-American pop artist, complications from dementia

Sept 24 beatification of Bishop Fulton Sheen, Catholic radio/TV evangelist.

Oct 28 Dolores Huerta, 96, American labor leader and activist, co-founder of United Farm Workers, cancer.

Oct 31 beatification of Pedro de Corpa and 4 Companions (Georgia Martyrs)

More Election Resources

250 to 250 is on a short break because I am working at our local voting center.

Created with MD Designer by Jennifer Gagliardi 2026-10-31 21:38:00

Here is a list of free resources on voter registration, voting rights, elections, and media literacy to encourage informed participation in our democracy. You can find the full list on COABE’s Voter Resources page. 

• ACLU Voting Rights
• American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) Rev Up Voting Campaign
• Arab American Institute and Yalla Vote
• Art for Democracy
• Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders Vote
• Annenberg Classroom
• Ballotpedia | Voter Tool Kit | Hall Pass Newsletter
• Brennan Center: Midterms 2026 |  Voting Rights Restoration
• Bolts Magazine: What’s on the Ballot
• CA Secretary of State Election Info (check your state’s Secretary of State website)
• CALPRIG: New Voters Project
• Campaign Legal Center: Voting and Elections
• Center for Common Ground Postcarding
• Center for Civic Design: Voter Education
• Common Cause: Voting and Fair Representation
• DOJ: Language Minority Citizens: Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act
• Emily’s List
• Easy Voter Guide
• Fair Elections: Campus Voting Resources
• Fair Fight
• Fair Vote
• Florida Literacy Coalition: Encouraging Adult Learners to Vote (webinar recording)
• FVAP.gov Federal Voting Assistance Program (for Military and Overseas Voters)
• League of Women Voters
• LINCS: Supporting the Voting Rights of People with Disabilities (archived offline)
• Mi Familia en Acción: Voting Center
• NAACP Legal Defense Fund: Voting
• National Conference of State Legislatures: Restoration of Voting Rights for Felons
• National Disability Rights Network: Voting
• National Partnership for New Americans
• Native American Voting Rights
• New American Voters: Resources
• Non-Profit Vote: Nonprofit Guide to Supporting Free and Fair Elections
• Pew Research Center: U.S. Elections & Voters
• ProPublica: Democracy: Inside Voting in America
• Restore Your Vote: Voting Rights After a Felony Conviction
• Rock the Vote: Democracy Explainers
• SCCVote.org (Check your County’s Registrar of Voters)
• Sentencing Project: Jail-Based Voting Resources | Voting Rights (24 factsheets, plus many more resources)
• Social Justice Books: Voting Rights (2-Generation reading lists)
• States United Democracy Center: 2026 Midterm Elections Resource Hub
• Student Public Interest Research Groups (PIRGs) New Voter Project
• studentvote.org
• US Election Assistance Commission: Translated Materials
• US Election Map Collection
• USAHello’s voting guide for immigrants
• vote.gov
• Vote 411
• Vote Smart
• Vote Vets
• Voter Participation Center
• Voting Rights Alliance: 61 Forms of Voter Suppression
• Voting Rights Lab
• Voto Latino