The first part will include a questionnaire testing knowledge of the realities of the American state and society. Each applicant will receive ten questions. To obtain citizenship, they must answer at least six correctly. (Both questions and answers will be oral.) The second part of the exam is designed to assess the candidate's ability to read and write in English. The third tests their oral communication skills. However, the content of the language part of the citizenship exam has not yet been disclosed by U.S. authorities.
As for the questionnaire, it will be significantly expanded. Unlike the current version, the new questionnaire will include 144 items, including questions on the foundations of democracy, citizens' rights and responsibilities, U.S. history, the country's main laws, and its geography. In particular, the questionnaire is expected to include such questions as "The main idea of the Declaration of Independence," "Amendments to the U.S. Constitution," "The Bill of Rights," "Concepts of freedom and religion," "The structure of the U.S. government," and "What does the word 'veto' mean?" In addition, applicants will have to memorize the names of Indian tribes and the names of women's rights activists.
Moreover, according to the developers of the new version of the questionnaire, it should not only expand physically but also promote a deeper study and understanding of the American governmental structure, history, and culture, comments the BBC on the innovation. For example, instead of answering how many stripes are on the U.S. flag, applicants will have to explain why there are 13; and instead of answering who Martin Luther King was, they will have to describe what he fought for. They will not just have to name the three branches of government in the U.S., but also explain why this particular government structure is adopted in the country; not only learn that the Emancipation Proclamation "freed the slaves," but also be able to talk about the main causes of the Civil War and its key stages. "Our main task is to stimulate those wishing to obtain citizenship to become more familiar with the values of our people, so that they can participate worthily in the events of the democratic life of our country," Gonzales emphasized.
The new version of the questionnaire presented by the authorities is currently a trial. It will not be introduced into daily practice until spring 2008, reports the American newspaper USA Today. Until then, 5,000 volunteers from a dozen different American cities will test the new questionnaire. Upon completion of testing, the Department of Homeland Security will analyze the results obtained.
However, even now, the idea of the U.S. immigration authorities has come under a barrage of criticism from organizations advocating for the rights of immigrants. According to them, the innovation "is a tool directed against immigrants," notes the BBC. In turn, immigrant organizations have expressed deep concern about the new test system, which, in their view, is designed to complicate the procedure for obtaining a U.S. passport. They emphasize that "for the majority of the 8 million immigrants who have already proven that they meet the basic criteria for citizenship, their native language is Spanish, and it will not be easy for them to delve into complex nuances of the American political system in English," the publication notes.
In response, U.S. authorities quickly stated that in the future, the number of questions may be reduced to one hundred.
Marina LEMUTKINA.
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