On January 17th, Americans will pay tribute to the legacy of slain civil rights leader The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in the annual national holiday that celebrates his birthday (January 15th). Reverend King would have been 80 years old if he were alive today. More than 50 years ago, Dr. King campaigned across the United States, leading non-violent marches and demonstrations for equal rights for African Americans. VOA's Chris Simkins looks back at his life and the impact his work had on the country.
"This bill would provide certain illegal and deportable alien students who graduate from US high schools, who are of good moral character, arrived in the U.S. illegally as minors, and have been in the country continuously and illegally for at least five years prior to the bill's enactment, the opportunity to earn conditional permanent residency if they complete two years in the military or two years at a four year institution of higher learning."
DreamActivist.org is a multicultural, migrant youth-led, social media hub for the movement to pass the DREAM Act and pursue the enactment of other forms of legislation that aim to mend the broken immigration system.
The DREAM Act Portal is a clearinghouse of local and national DREAM ACT organizations and activities.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. changed the course of history and inspired us to build what he called "the beloved community." The King Legacy of Service 25th Anniversary video tells the story of how Dr. King's birthday evolved into a national day of service. Featuring civil rights luminaries such as Congressman John Lewis, Reverend Dr. Joseph Lowery, and Ruby Bridges, the 6-minute video reminds us of the importance of keeping Dr. King's legacy of service alive and challenges us to make service a part of our lives ─ everyday of the year.
USCIS 100:55. What are two ways that Americans can participate in their democracy?
MARTIN LUTHER KING: "I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up, and live out the true meaning of its creed."
Civil rights leader Martin Luther King Junior helped to change American history. He led protests against racial separation. And he taught non-violence, even when threatened with violence. His efforts helped lead to the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
MARTIN LUTHER KING: "Free at last! Free at last! Thank God almighty, we are free at last!"
Four years later, King was murdered in Memphis, Tennessee. Now, a memorial on the National Mall in Washington will honor him. The memorial is set to open in August
USCIS 100: 85. What did Martin Luther King, Jr. do?*
This week, America celebrates the life of one of its most revered leaders, the late civil rights activist Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Each January, his birthday is observed as a national holiday. MacKenzie Babb in Washington has a report on how schoolchildren in the U.S. capital are commemorating Dr. King's work by memorizing his "I Have a Dream" speech, delivered 47 years ago on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.
. . . I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."
I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.
I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification; one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.
I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.
This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.
This will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with a new meaning, "My country, 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring."
And if America is to be a great nation this must become true. So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania!
Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado!
Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California!
But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia!
Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee!
Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring.
And when this happens, when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, "Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"
USCIS 100:84. What movement tried to end racial discrimination?
by Ben Heine (Note : If you wish a print of this image, click "Buy This Print" )
USCitizenpod's MLK Day Special!
Today we will review the 96Qs (45) and the new 100Q (48, 84, 85, 100) related to Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. You can get the MLK Day handout here. Also check out the following links.
The President speaks about the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the importance of persistence in achieving broader goals in remarks at the Vermont Avenue Baptist Church in Washington, D.C. January 17, 2010.
This week, an historic referendum took place in Sudan and West Wing Week takes you there. Watch a preview of "Dispatches from Sudan" and join General Scott Gration, President Obama's Special Envoy to Sudan for a unique look at the vote that could result in the world's newest nation. Go behind the scenes at polling stations from Juba to Khartoum, meet some of the international community helping ensure the vote is fair and peaceful, travel to Darfur to inspect conditions on the ground, and learn about the commitment of the United States to peace in this region after decades of civil war. That's coming soon to WhiteHouse.gov, watch the preview now.
President Barack Obama called for unity as he tried to console Americans Wednesday night, just days after six people died in an assassination attempt on a U.S. lawmaker. The shooter's target, Representative Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona, suffered wounds to her head in the encounter. VOA's Carolyn Presutti brings us the president's words of comfort on the situation.
San Francisco welcomed its first Asian-American mayor Tuesday afternoon, as City Administrator Edwin Lee was sworn in as interim mayor.
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to appoint Lee to fill the remainder of Mayor Gavin Newsom’s term. Newsom was sworn in Monday as California’s lieutenant governor.
President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama are joined by White House staff on the South Lawn as they observe a moment of silence to honor the victims of the tragic shootings in Tucson, Arizona. January 10, 2011.
My Senior ESL class 0bserved a moment of silence at 11 am. Then the students added their prayers in English and their native language: Vietnamese, Cantonese, Mandarin, Korean, Spanish, Bulgarian, Farsi, and Serbian. Buddhists, Christians, Muslims, and non-religious students prayed for peace and health for Congresswoman Giffords, the victims of the Tuscon shooting, the people of Arizona, the United States, our home countries, and the whole world--
A U.S. Congresswoman is in critical condition and six people are dead after a gunman opened fire in an Arizona parking lot where Representative Gabrielle Giffords was meeting with constituents. The dead include a federal judge. More than a dozen people were wounded, including Giffords. VOA's Michael Bowman reports, a federal probe has been launched amid a national outpouring of sorrow and outrage.
The U.S. Congress began a new session Wednesday. Republicans won enough seats in the November elections to take over the House of Representatives. As VOA's Carolyn Presutti tells us, their goal is to repeal some of the legislation enacted at President Obama's request.
Welcome to the West Wing Week, your guide to everything that's happening at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. This week, the first family returns to Washington, the President signs over 30 bills into law, and West Wing staff share their New Year's resolutions.
The U.S. Congress convenes this week with scores of new members committed to repealing or halting most of President Barack Obama's initiatives. The new Congress features a Republican-controlled House of Representatives and a reduced Democratic majority in the Senate. Shepherding bills through a divided legislature will require compromise -- a rare commodity in Washington -- at a time of stark partisan and ideological divides.
When Washington artist Regina Holliday lost her husband to cancer last year, she immersed herself in painting. She used her art to express her grief while also raising awareness about problems in the American health care system, which she believes contributed to her husband's death.
In this special edition of West Wing Week, look back over the last year, watch the President sign a law getting those loud TV ads under control, and find out the answers to a couple burning questions from the mailbag.
The census is a historical milestone that we encounter every ten years. The reveal of the total population count brings with it not only the numbers that help determine the amount of representation for your state but also the amount of federal funding your state will receive over the next ten years. As we come to the end of the 2010 Census, we can take pride in the huge accomplishment we achieved as a nation.
The 2010 Census was a huge success from which we will determine the total U.S. population and the number of representatives for each state. These numbers also help determine the amount of federal funding that your state will receive for the next 10 years. From this video you will learn why the numbers count!
Results from the latest census in the United States show that people are moving to the country's South and West where there tends to be more jobs and a lower cost of living. These states also tend to attract large, Hispanic immigrant populations. VOA's Elizabeth Lee looks at the census and what it may mean for the nation's politics.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the Milpitas Adult School Citizenship class and ESL 2. See you Tuesday, January 4, 2011 5:45pm for more English (and fun) in the new year!
Welcome to the West Wing Week, your guide to everything that's happening at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Walk step by step with the President as he signs the repeal of "Don't Ask Don't Tell," looks back at an historic lame duck session, reads to kids for the Holiday season, and receives the Census report.
A homeless couple hopes for a special gift. The immigrant experience on Skype. Two retirees on a road trip THIS IS AMERICA download MP3 (Right-click or option-click and save link)
Thousands of volunteers turned out to decorate some of the graves at Arlington National Cemetery with wreaths trucked from Maine for the ceremony. By the end of the day, 24,000 wreaths are placed on headstones at Arlington. Organizers want to expand to include the entire cemetery next year.
The Mount Vernon Estate in the southern U.S. state of Virginia is one of the most beloved historical landmarks in the United States. Every year, about one million people visit the home of America's first president, George Washington, who led the country from 1789 to 1797. The house and museum on the grounds are now decorated for Christmas. In addition to enjoying the decorations, visitors can also see a camel and hear stories about what Christmas was like at Mount Vernon in the 18th century. VOAs Deborah Block has more.
"The Naturalized": Weaving together the lives of different people from different countries who all share a quest for citizenship by choice, not birthright, this documentary travels from a citizenship class in San Jose to a naturalization ceremony in Iraq. Along the way, there's unprecedented access to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service, revealing the complex process up-close, including a marriage interview and the one-on-one Citizenship Exam. How many amendments are in the Constitution? To become an American, not knowing is not an option. Contemporary stories of struggle and success are combined with insightful interviews from notable naturalized citizens like Fareed Zakaria, Alan Cumming, David Rakoff and Isabel Allende plus the Milpitas Adult School Citizenship Class!
President Barack Obama is ending the 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policy that bars homosexuals from serving openly in the US armed forces. The president has signed legislation repealing the 17-year-old policy.
All we want for the holidays is the DREAM Act. Turn up the heat on wavering Senators: 866-587-6101 Tell them to vote YES. Pls fwd. Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile
Welcome to the West Wing Week, your guide to everything that's happening at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Walk step by step with the President as he signs a landmark childhood nutrition bill, urges passage of the compromise on tax cuts and unemployment insurance, discusses the Afghanistan-Pakistan Annual Review, and more.
"The Naturalized" airs on History Channel. December 15th @ 10AM & 4PM EST December 18th @ 8PM EST Check your local listings.
"The Naturalized": contemporary stories of struggle and success are combined with insightful interviews from notable naturalized citizens like Fareed Zakaria, Alan Cumming, David Rakoff and ISABEL ALLENDE, plus the Milpitas Adult School Citizenship class!
My Citizenship class appears 44:14 in The Naturalized
THE NATURALIZED (the doc featuring my Citizenship class) makes it History Channel debut 12/15!
Synopsis: The Naturalized (2010 Documentary)
Weaving together the lives of different people from different countries who all share a quest for citizenship by choice, not birthright, this documentary travels from a citizenship class in San Jose to a naturalization ceremony in Iraq. Along the way, there's unprecedented access to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service, revealing the complex process up-close, including a marriage interview and the one-on-one Citizenship Exam. How many amendments are in the Constitution? To become an American, not knowing is not an option. Contemporary stories of struggle and success are combined with insightful interviews from notable naturalized citizens like Fareed Zakaria, Alan Cumming, David Rakoff and Isabel Allende. Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile
Welcome to the West Wing Week, your guide to everything that's happening at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Walk step by step with the President as he visits Afghanistan to celebrate the holidays with our men and women in uniform, announces a free trade agreement with South Korea, attends a series of meetings at the White House and holds a press conference to answer questions about the tax cut compromise, signs the Claims Resolution Act of 2010, and more...
Apportionment is the process of dividing the seats in the House of Representatives among the 50 states based on the population figures collected during the decennial census. But how does it actually work? Through animation, the US Census Bureau helps explain how the apportionment formula is used to ensure equal representation for all, just like the Founding Fathers planned.
USCIS 100: 25. Why do some states have more Representatives than other states?
U.S. President Barack Obama made progress on an ambitious agenda in 2010. But as VOA's Kent Klein reports from the White House, a larger and stronger contingent of Republicans in Congress will present much stiffer opposition in 2011.
U.S. lawmakers before the end of the year are expected to consider a controversal immigration reform measure that would give tens of thousands of young illegal immigrants a chance to become legal residents by going to college or joining the armed forces. The proposed legislation is known as the Dream Act . VOA's Chris Simkins tells us about it.
Welcome to the West Wing Week, your guide to everything that's happening at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Walk step by step with the President as he holds a meeting with bipartisan members of the Congressional Leadership at the White House, greets the American 2010 Nobel Laureates in the Oval Office, meets with General Colin Powell, makes a joint statement about the importance of ratifying the START treaty with Russia, and more...
George Washington was born into a world where slavery was an accepted part of life. When his father died in 1743, Washington - at the age of 11 - inherited 10 slaves. When the nation's first president died in 1799, more than 300 slaves lived in quarters on his Mount Vernon estate. This year, those slave quarters, first opened to the public in 1962, went through an extensive archaeological analysis and restoration. These refurbished quarters shed new light on the story of the slaves who lived and worked at Mount Vernon.
USCIS 100:60. What group of people was taken to America and sold as slaves?
The U.S. Center for Citizen Diplomacy says individual Americans have the right and responsibility to help shape U.S. foreign relations. This month, it hosted a summit in Washington with the goal of getting more Americans to do just that. (download MP3)
55. What are two ways that Americans can participate in their democracy?
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is funded largely by application fees. However, the USCIS knows that some people cannot pay their application fees.
If you want USCIS to consider waiving the fee for your application, you must complete Form I-912, Request for Fee Waiver.
When you request a fee waiver, you must clearly show that you cannot pay the fee.
USCIS officers will look at each case's facts to decide if the fee should be waived. Each case is different and will be judged on the case's facts.
You may use Form I-912 to request a fee waiver for any USCIS services, including Form N-400, Application for Naturalization.
Nancy-Ann DeParle, the Director of the Office of Health Reform at the White House breaks down new rules will make our health care marketplace more transparent and ensure you get the best value for your premium dollars. They are just one of the many parts of the Affordable Care Act that are already making our health care system stronger.
As millions of Americans travel during the country's Thanksgiving holiday, they face new heightened security procedures at the nation's airports. Federal authorities instituted the measures earlier this month and some fliers say the techniques are too intrusive.
Welcome to the West Wing Week, your guide to everything that's happening at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Walk step by step with the President as he attends the NATO Summit in Portugal, visits Kokomo, Indiana, participates in the traditional turkey pardoning and volunteers alongside the First Family at Martha's Table, a local organization that provides nutrition and other family services to those in need, and more.
The President expresses gratitude to America's military men and women and their families, and discusses the steps his administration is taking to help create jobs so that next Thanksgiving, Americans can give thanks for a stronger economy.
Americans celebrate Thanksgiving Day each year on the fourth Thursday in November. It is a time when families and friends gather to count their blessings. The idea began in the 1600s when Pilgrims came to North America from England to start a new life. After their annual harvest, they gave thanks and held a feast. Today, many Americans follow that tradition. VOA's Deborah Block tells us how neighbors in the southern U.S. state of Florida celebrate the day.
Eighteen children, originally from Haiti, Ethiopia, China, and other countries, were sworn in as citizens with their American adoptive parents standing by.
For more info about Immigration, Citizenship, and Adoption, see USCIS.gov: Adoption.
Welcome to the West Wing Week, your guide to everything that's happening at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Walk step by step with the President as he attends the G-20 in Seoul, Korea and the annual APEC meeting in Yokohama, Japan, awards the Medal of Honor to Staff Sergeant Salvatore Giunta, and the National Medals of Science and Technology, affirms the Administration's commitment to promoting equality in the work place at a meeting of women leaders in the Roosevelt Room, and more...
Our listener question this week comes from Iraqi Kurdistan. Farman Salih wants to know about the men whose pictures are on American paper money and why they were important. Also: T-Bone Burnett produces two albums with Elvis Costello, others. And the Hope Diamond has to share the spotlight AMERICAN MOSAIC (download MP3)
And the Pursuit of Happiness is beloved artist and author Maira Kalman's yearlong investigation of democracy and how it works. Energized and inspired by the 2008 elections, on inauguration day Kalman traveled to Washington, D.C., launching a national tour that would take her from a town hall meeting in Newfane, Vermont, to the inner chambers of the Supreme Court. Her NYtimes blog posts are collected in her new volume: And the Pursuit of Happiness
Welcome to the West Wing Week, your guide to everything that's happening at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. On a special edition for the trip to Asia this week, walk step by step with the President as he meets with students, citizens, business leaders, and government officials in India, travels to Indonesia to extend a hand of friendship to the Indonesian people, attends the G-20 in Seoul, South Korea, and much more...
When I was freshman in high school, the Viet Nam war was coming to the end. A classmate, Molly Olds, who was an "army brat", convinced me, a Catholic "peacenik", to wear a POW/MIA memorial bracelet. The name on my bracelet: Richard R. Perricone. I never knew what happened to this POW, so I "googled" Perricone. There he was on the POW Network--free and alive--living in New York with his wife. Wow! I hope he is in Washington DC this weekend with his fellow vets. I hope he knows peace.
(Update; many people wrote to say Stff Sgt. Richard Perricone is alive and well).
The VOA story also brings to mind one of my students, Nguyen Kiem Long, formerly of the South Viet Nam Air Force and the Milpitas Adult School Senior ESL Class. He is currently in New York attending to family business, and I and his classmates miss him so much. He is a living example of a free and prosperous Viet Nam.
ARVN Veteran Do Ngoc Xuan
proudly displays his US Citizenship Papers
I also honor Do Ngoc Xuan, a farmer forced to flee the South and join the army. After working the night shift, he came to the Senior ESL class every day in preparation for US Citizenship--the ticket to freedom for his relatives still in Viet Nam. His goal is shared not only by the Vietnamese students at our school, but by the immigrant communty at large.
I also remember my father, Gene Gagliardi, who financed his college education via a ROTC scholarsip at the University of Illinois, Champange-Urbana. His service on the USS Hancock qualified him for further education and housing loans via the GI Bill, enabling our large family to realize the American Dream. On a similar quest, many young immigrants choose to join the military in hope of improving the lives of their own families.
Several years ago, I was conducting an English placement testing at Milpitas Adult School. I started chatting with a Latina and her husband. She spoke English quite well, so I asked her why she wanted to attend ESL classes (i.e. "Would GED be a better choice for you?"). She said, "We just took my son to the bus for the Marines. He is going to Iraq. I am so afraid. I have to do something or I will go crazy!" and she burst into tears. Her husband gazed mournfully at her and could only hold her as she wept.
Over the succeeding years, Iraqis and Afghanis have joined Vietnamese, Chinese, and Mexican students community at our school. Despite many problems, the woman has persevered in her GED studies; her son successfully served in Iraq and Afghanistan, and continues to serve in the US Marines. The son recently returned home on leave and his mother had many concerns. I told her to talk to Fr. Michael Hendrickson, our local Catholic pastor and Naval/Marine chaplain, who had just returned from a tour of duty in Afghanistan. She reported that he understood her perfectly--only families who had children "over there" could understand, and was so grateful for his compassion and the sympathy of 'others.'
On Veterans Day, let us remember the US service men and women, their families, and our allied commrade-in-arms, fighting for the freedom of their own country.
Thursday marks the observation of Veterans Day in the United States, a day when the nation honors its military veterans. The national holiday falls on the date in 1918 considered the end of World War One. The day is known in Europe and elsewhere as Armistice or Remembrance Day. On Wednesday, here in Washington, there was a ground breaking for a memorial to honor a specific sort of American military veterans -- those injured and permanently disabled as a result of war. VOA's Elizabeth Lee has the story.
It is often said that the presidential election starts the day after the midterm elections. We are there now, and soon all eyes will be on the 2012 presidential race. President Barack Obama is a good campaigner. So he was much in the political fray in the midterm elections. Two years from now, he will do the same for himself, if he wants to keep his job.
Tim Bailey, 2009 National History Teacher of the Year, now a history teacher at Salt Lake City's Northwest Middle School, in the same feeder system as Escalante Elementary, serves mostly disadvantaged students. Although most of them come from families that recently immigrated from Latin America, Africa, Asia and other parts of the world, the children respond enthusiastically to Tim's creative approach to teaching American history and citizenship.
USCIS 100:52. What do we show loyalty to when we say the Pledge of Allegiance?
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile Hello from Portland, OR! This weekend, I am visiting friends who have brought me to The Grotto for a couple of hours of prayer and refelction. Outside The Grotto, there is a memorial to John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the first Roman Catholic elected as US president. With JFK's election, millions of American Catholics felt fully included in the US political system. An imperfect man, an imperfect president, an imperfect saint: I submit that JFK is the patron of modern American Catholicism. John Fitzgerald Kennedy--ora pro nobis!
Welcome to the West Wing Week, your guide to everything that's happening at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Walk step by step with the President as he tours Stromberg Sheet Metal, a Maryland company planning to expand its workforce in the coming year, explains the actions taken to disrupt and investigate a potential terrorist attack, welcomes trick-or-treaters to the White House for Halloween, takes questions from the press and speaks about ways to move the country forward and grow our economy, surprises a group of wounded warriors during their White House tour and much more...
In an historic shift, Republicans emerged victorious in the 2010 U.S. mid-term elections. While they made large gains in the House of Representatives, Democrats retained control of the Senate. As VOA's Kane Farabaugh reports from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, many voters hope the shift will bring new legislation that combats high unemployment, falling home prices, and rising government debt.
On Tuesday, voters will decide who will occupy all 435 seats in the US House of Representatives, as well as 37 of the 100 seats in the U.S. Senate. Gubernatorial races are also important, as states redraw Congressional districts following a 10-year census. Democrats are hoping for a good turnout so they can deter what many pundits say might be a Republican landslide. VOA headed to the polls today in the Virginia suburbs of Washington DC. Laurel Bowman has the latest.
