This week on The Inside Story, we're taking a deep dive into Chinatown in New York City, one of the oldest Chinatowns in America. We'll explore how first and second-generation Asian Americans are using their digital savvy to bring about a new generation culture and identity to the city. Plus, we'll discuss the impact of the global pandemic on the historic New York neighborhood. Don't miss this unique opportunity to learn about the history and culture of Chinatown and how it is adapting to the changing times. Join us this week on The Inside Story, Chinatown: Living in America.
The U.S. citizenship test is being updated, and some immigrants and advocates worry the changes will hurt test-takers with lower levels of English proficiency...
...U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services proposes that the new test add a speaking section to assess English skills. An officer would show photos of ordinary scenarios – like daily activities, weather or food – and ask the applicant to verbally describe the photos.
In the current test, an officer evaluates speaking ability during the naturalization interview by asking personal questions the applicant has already answered in the naturalization paperwork. (read more) |
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources Richard Verma shares his parents’ story of immigration from India to the United States, and how it created the foundation for his life and career.
We will first read about Q99 from the USCIS M638 quick civics lesson. Then we will discuss the Declaration of Independence, the Compromise of 1850, and abolitionist Fredrick Douglass. Then we will listen to a short reading from Fredrick Douglass speech: “The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro.” Note that Negro was a common term for Black or African-Americans, but it is not often used today. Let's get started.
I answer: a day that reveals to him, more than all other days in the year, the gross injustice and cruelly to which he is the constant victim.
To him, your celebration is a sham;
your boasted liberty, an unholy license;
your national greatness, swelling vanity;
your sounds of rejoicing are empty and heartless;
your denunciations of tyrants, brass fronted impudence;
your shouts of liberty and equality, hollow mockery;
your prayers and hymns, your sermons and thanksgivings,
with all your religious parade, and solemnity, are, to him, mere bombast,
fraud, deception, impiety, and hypocrisy—a thin veil to cover up crimes which would disgrace a nation of savages...
Listen to and read text from The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro, written by abolitionist and former slave: Frederick Douglass. Frederick Douglass presented this speech on July 5, 1852 in Rochester, NY. This speech concludes with a poem, a peace prayer, written by William Lloyd Garrison
Watch actor Danny Glover read abolitionist Frederick Douglass's "Fourth of July Speech, 1852" on October 5, 2005 in Los Angeles, California. Part of a reading from Voices of a People's History of the United States (Howard Zinn and Anthony Arnove.)
The U.S. celebrates this Independence Day amid nationwide protests and calls for systemic reforms. In this short film, five young descendants of Frederick Douglass read and respond to excerpts of his famous speech, "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?" which asks all of us to consider America's long history of denying equal rights to Black Americans.
As the nation prepares to celebrate 247 years of the country’s independence, smaller U.S. towns are marking holiday with their own traditions. VOA’s Saqib Ul Islam takes us to one small Virginia town that celebrated ahead of the July Fourth holiday.
Resources for Independence Day
SI.edu/USCIS: Preparing for the Oath: U.S. History and Civics for Citizenship This web resource provides online videos and activities on the 100 civics questions from the naturalization test and highlights museum objects from the Smithsonian Institution.
More Resources American English at State: Celebrate Independence Day(pdf) Americans celebrate Independence Day on July 4 because on July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress approved the Declaration of Independence, officially breaking bonds with England and forming a new independent nation, the United States of America. Jennifer ESL: Lesson 26 - Red, White & Blue Idioms - Happy Fourth of July! Learn six idioms based on the colors red, white, and blue. MORE PRACTICE Rachel's English: 4th of July Traditions Happy 4th of July! This is the day we celebrate America’s independence. Study vocabulary, pronunciation, and phrases as we study REAL English conversation and learn about 4th of July traditions in the US.
This #IndependenceDay, we celebrate our democracy's progress toward a more equitable and prosperous society of the people, by the people, and for the people.
We will discuss the Declaration of Independence, the Compromise of 1850, and abolitionist Fredrick Douglass.
uscitizenpod: US Citizenship Podcast Independence Day Quiz (video) Celebrate Independence Day with uscitizenpod. Here is a quiz based on USCIS 100:08, 09, 61, 62, 63, 64, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100.
One of the themes of this year's Smithsonian Folk Life Festival is immigration. As part of the festival events, a group of 25 children were sworn in as U.S. Citizens, just ahead of America's Independence Day holiday. VOA's Elizabeth Cherneff reports.
Few Americans are aware of the fact that the first printing of the Declaration of Independence contained a copy error. As a result, many subsequent republications of the text display the typo. In a new video filmed at the 2018 Aspen Ideas Festival in June, Danielle Allen, a political theorist and professor at Harvard University, explains why this seemingly innocuous oversight can have grave consequences. Interpreting this sentence correctly, Allen argues, is crucial to understanding how the powers of government are organized—and, consequentially, how to be an effective civic agent.
For 30 years, the Seattle Center has hosted an annual naturalization ceremony under the shadow of the Space Needle to certify immigrants as Americans on Independence Day.
This year, over 300 immigrants from 74 countries were naturalized. Migrants from Ukraine, Afghanistan, the Philippines, El Salvador, Norway, Rwanda, and other nations swore their allegiance to the United States and in so doing, completed their journey to citizenship.
I was joined by U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell, Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs, King County Executive Dow Constantine, U.S. District Court judges David Estudillo and Ricardo Martinez, and other speakers in welcoming the new class of citizens.
Of special note was Margita from the Czech Republic. At 78 years old, she was the oldest of the new class of citizens, proving it's never too late to achieve your dreams. Welcome, Margit!
In June 1776, a little over a year after the start of the American Revolutionary War, the US Continental Congress huddled together in a hot room in Philadelphia to talk independence. Kenneth C. Davis dives into some of the lesser known facts about the process of writing the Declaration of Independence and questions one very controversial omission.
Full Lesson Plan by Kenneth C. Davis, animation by Karrot Animation.
In honor of LGBT Pride Month, a single question about the Flag: Long May She Wave! Text: uscitizenpod | Video: Lori Saltis Take the full quiz: LOVE AND PRIDE: A Citizenship Quiz in Honor of LGBT Pride Month (10 questions)
Equal treatment. That’s the idea behind the Civil Rights Act. One part of the legislation, called Title VII deals with the workplace. What does that mean for American workers? VOA explains.
USPTO celebrates Caribbean American Heritage Month by exploring the many nations and one voice that our Caribbean American employees bring to the agency. The many nations of the Caribbean - from Haiti, to Jamaica, to Guyana and more − share their diverse racial, cultural, and religious backgrounds as well as cuisines, carnivals, festivals, music, dance, film, and literature that enrich our social landscape. This month, we proudly recognize the tremendous contributions Caribbean Americans bring to the realm of Intellectual Property and to the USPTO community.