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Citizenship Test Moves Beyond Trivia

Immigrants worry about potential for abuse

By Gabriel Winant, Newser User

Posted Oct 1, 2008 8:49 AM CDT

(Newser) – The new test to become a US citizen debuts today, and it's making plenty of immigrants and their advocacy groups anxious. Proponents say it asks more meaningful questions—instead of "What were the original 13 states?" it asks things like "What does the Constitution do?"—but some worry that it's too conceptual and leaves too much to the whim of the examiner, reports the LA Times.

“Instead of asking what are the colors of the flag, now we're asking why does the flag have 50 stars or 13 stripes,” says an official. Though the old exam was “sometimes ridiculed for focusing on minutiae,” it was what many had prepared for, memorizing names and dates. “Every time there’s something new, it’s seen as another barrier,” says the director of an immigrant association.

[Images (3)]

[Quotes (1)]

Hiep Doan, front, a resident of Boston and immigrant from Vietnam, places his hand on his chest while singing the U.S. national anthem along with some in the crowd during naturalization ceremonies at... (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

New U.S. citizens take the oath of citizenship during the 46th annual Independence Day celebration and naturalization ceremony at Monticello, the historic home of Thomas Jefferson, in Charlottesville,... (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

Marly Barrera, 55, of Opa Locka, Florida, practices taking the oath of citizenship during a course at the Hialeah Adult Center on Thursday night, January 22, 2004. (KRT Photos)

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We have thousands of workbooks and study guides that will have to be thrown away. A number of community organizations will go through the same process of revamping their materials. - CA State Sen. Lou Correa

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Citizenship Test Moves Beyond Trivia