My Citizenship Status

Citizenship in Athens and Rome has similarities and differences. Being a citizen is being a native or naturalized member of a state or nation who owes allegiance to its government. Being a citizen meant different things in each empire. The relationship between the citizen and their nation varied from their system of citizenship. Rome had a better system of citizenship because they were more open to who they allowed citizenship, they gave people they conquered citizenship, and personal grudges, judgements about others/topics would not affect the Empire.

I am a U.S. born citizen. My parents moved to the United States in 1984 without knowing anything about this country. Looking for a fresh start and new opportunities, my parents settled in Houston. With hardly knowing any English, my parents knew this was the place to make dreams become a reality. Luckily, I had older siblings to look up to whenever I needed help. Like Lahiri, I was trapped in between two different cultures while I was growing up. At home, I only spoke Spanish, but in school it was English. My habits and customs were different than others. Life as an immigrant’s offspring can be very difficult. As I grew older, I allowed myself to open my eyes and see the beauty of being an American from Hispanic descent.

I don't think they achieved full citizenship because they still faved segregation, they don't have complete rights, there was racism. Some ways they faced segregation were their public spaces were separate and more run down than rights. Blacks couldn't go the same places or do the same things as whites with whites. A lot of people were hostile toward them because they had been taking there jobs. Although the 14 amendment said they had full citizenship they didn't because they still couldn't vote . Another way they weren't full citizens was they couldn't serve in a jury because they were former slaves. One way they faced racism was with the ku klux klan (kkk) because they wanted to drive them out of a political life. The ku klux klan (kkk)

It will be the beginning of a new life of individuality, freedom and chances. Higher Education usually is a priority in America because you earn a degree to have a professional job and be successful. Just as we've seen our family and friends do. In 2015 "20.2 million students were expected to attend American colleges and universities constituting an increase of about 4.9 million since fall 2000." (nces.2015) Although there is many scholarships, grants, loans, and financial aid available to an American citizen pursuing a goal. There is a barrier for immigrants who seek higher education. Despite the soaring cost to attend college; undocumented students in all states are prohibited from accessing all forms of federal education benefits. Many are denied in-state tuition rates and have to pay higher rates to attend the public college in their home state.(CenterofAmericanProgress) The pressure and lack of prospect of not attending college leads to undocumented students dropping out of high school. Since many need to help support their families they seek full time jobs

I was aware that as an undocumented student there were less funding opportunities, but I never imaged the frustration and disappointment when I couldn’t find none or I was rejected from the ones I applied. I became depressed, and there were times when I even questioned my existence. Thanks to the support of my parents, I managed to continue doing my best regardless of my immigration status. I started to take classes in community college to explore career fields. One class that I fell in love with was my Criminal Law class. Once in UCI, I took more criminology classes. Learning about the unfair criminal justice system and looking back in my minority community, I took an interest in law

A year and a half ago I moved from Venezuela to the US with my family; since then I have tried my best to make this sacrifice worth it and make my family proud. Leaving everything that you own behind and moving somewhere new with only a couple of luggage with you is extremely difficult economically, which is why my family is currently experiencing financial difficulties that make it more difficult for me to be able to afford the costs of a good college education. I currently work 3 jobs cleaning houses to help my family, however, it is still not enough to afford a college education. Being an immigrant is a part of my identity and it has shaped my character into what I believe is a hard-working student and person. At West Marshall high school

I was a 5 footer in a 6 foot environment. A few months after I migrated to America on June 2009, my parents told me that I am undocumented. From watching movies and TV shows, listening to the news and hearing the comments made by the people around me, I learned that being undocumented came with many limitations: I cannot work, I cannot freely volunteer, I cannot get financial aid-I cannot gain necessary experience for my future. My immigration status kept me from developing my character, causing me to fall short compared to the average student.

One of the speakers that I was able to connect to was the SSU UndocuScholar Coalition, I’m also an undocumented student and I was able to share my experiences with these speakers. I can speak for myself, when I first came to SSU, I experienced some discrimination because I’m an undocumented student, and because I’m brown. It sounds ridiculous that these things still happen, specially here at Sonoma State University. At some point I felt like dropping out because of how I was treated, but I told myself I’m better than them, and I’m going to prove them wrong. It’s not an easy journey to college for undocumented students, specially for first generation students, who have never been exposed to this type of environment. Not just in education but we also struggle with having some type of representation on this country. Specially now with the new president we have, we don’t feel safe anymore, we are not criminals or rapist, we just want to be educated and pursue a career to have a better future for us and our family. I feel like we have been the target of a lot of

Regardless of my immigration status, CUNY Becas has offered me a chance to pursue my career path. I’ve received the CUNY Becas scholarship twice in the past two years, and it has not only fostered my personal growth, but has given me the motivation to keep fighting for what I want. Nevertheless, we are now doubtlessly in a very different moment than we were a few months ago. The new presidential administration has dramatically changed the national approach to immigrants. Although it feels like we have regressed in political progress, making us increasingly vulnerable, the Becari@s network has made me feel that I’m part of something large, something that not a person or a wall could ever destroy. I want to continue being part of this amazing

Before I enter to this internship, I know nothing about translating or interpreting. I thought that interpreting from one language to another was easy, just interpret like you are another person. Wrong, when interpreting for a client, I had to be the client – said exactly what they told me to the USCIS officer. An example would be when the client said “I am not a citizen of the United States”, I should tell the USCIS officer, “I am not a citizen of the United States” instead of “he is not a citizen of the United States”. When interpreting to a client at his Naturalization Interview, I had to speak clearly and slowly, be careful with my word choice, and keep sentences short and simple (“Interviewing”, 2013). There were more points that I need to remember as an interpreter, but to prepare myself, I read the USCIS journal: Interviewing - Working with an interpreter (suggested by my supervisor), and I brought a small notebook with me to write down what both parties said. Interpreting is a useful skill for me to have because after this internship, I want to be able to interpret for my parents sufficiently and as well as for the Hmong community.

citizens have the opportunity to apply for programs such as the Free Applications for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) where they are allowed to see if they are eligible for financial assistants however, this does not apply to undocumented students due to their illegal status. Certain states have opened up access to broader participation, offering undocumented immigrants the ability to apply for driver’s licenses and in-state tuition at public universities, others have adopted a more restrictive stance, by attempting to criminalize unauthorized presence and exclude undocumented immigrants from pubic universities (Gonzales & Ruiz,

U.S citizenship has a meaning much deeper than just the legal permission to live in this country; it is challenging to achieve and defines a dream of safety, opportunity, and privilege.

Children oftentimes inherit physical traits from both parents, but I have inherited much more: tenacity and the ability to adjust to new conditions with ease. According to my observations, the older I get the more I am exposed to various people, places, and situations which lead to patiently adapting to certain changes. For the first fourteen years of my life, I have lived in the Philippines, but that had ceased when I had to immigrate to the United States. When I arrived here in the U.S, I knew very well that it was uncharted territory for me. This unfamiliarity gave me a considerable amount of discomfort, knowing that I am 7,000 miles away from home.

Claim: The process to get a citizenship to the U.S. should be longer because doing something faster doesn’t get the whole job done.

I believe my citizenship will affect my future in an exceptional way. Throughout my four years at Lemoore High School I have not received any steps or referrals, neither have I had any disciplinary issues. I’ve always been known as a nice, and respectful person here at Lemoore High School, and I believe that is a great aspect because I can work with anyone with no problems whatsoever. I am very proud that I have a fantastic citizenship at Lemoore High School, and I will continue with this into my future.