{"id":1974540,"date":"2023-07-16T15:08:01","date_gmt":"2023-07-16T19:08:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/new-us-citizenship-test-requiring-greater-english-skills-draws-concerns-from-immigrants-and-advocates-too-difficult\/"},"modified":"2023-07-16T15:13:17","modified_gmt":"2023-07-16T19:13:17","slug":"new-us-citizenship-test-requiring-greater-english-skills-draws-concerns-from-immigrants-and-advocates-too-difficult","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/new-us-citizenship-test-requiring-greater-english-skills-draws-concerns-from-immigrants-and-advocates-too-difficult\/","title":{"rendered":"New US citizenship test causing worries among immigrants and advocates &#8211; too hard."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fnew-us-citizenship-test-requiring-greater-english-skills-draws-concerns-from-immigrants-and-advocates-too-difficult%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1974540&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>Advocates\u2062 Fear New US\u200d Citizenship \u200bTest \u200cWill Be \u2064Too \u2062Hard<\/h2>\n<p>Advocates \u200cfor\u200b immigrants are \u200dfearful \u200bthat a\u2064 new \u200ccitizenship \u2063test \u200din\u2063 the\u2062 works\u200b from the \u2064Biden \u200cadministration will \u2062be too hard.<\/p>\n<p>The\u2063 current test\u200c in \u200cuse is from\u200d 2008, according to \u2062<a\u200b href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/new-citizenship-test-naturalization-immigrants-immigration-c074aa1c92b226b4960485fb26d0f4fa\"\u200b target=\"_blank\" \u200crel=\"noopener\">The \u2062Associated Press<\/a>. \u200dThe Trump administration \u2064revised\u2064 the test in 2020, \u200bwhich\u200c advocates deplored as being too\u200d difficult. \u2064In 2021,\u200d the \u200cBiden administration \u2064tossed out the\u200b Trump-era\u2064 test and \u2062went \u200cback\u2064 to the one that had\u200c been replaced.<\/p>\n<p>The\u200d new test\u200c is expected\u2062 to be\u200b used \u2064next\u200c year. More\u200c than 1\u200b million\u200b immigrants \u2062became U.S. \u2064citizens in fiscal \u2064year 2022, one\u200b of the\u2062 highest \u2064levels\u200b since\u2064 1907.<\/p>\n<h3>Fears\u2064 of \u2062Increased \u200cDifficulty<\/h3>\n<p>Sara Goodman, a \u2063political \u200dscience \u2063professor\u200d at \u200cthe \u2063University\u200d of California, \u2062Irvine,\u2064 told the\u200c AP the\u200c current test is easier\u2063 than citizenship \u2062tests \u2062used by \u2064nations \u2062such as \u2064Germany, Canada, and\u2064 the United Kingdom.<\/p>\n<p>She \u200dsaid \u200bthe test \u200brequires\u2062 a <strong>\u201chigh beginner\u201d \u2064level\u200b of English<\/strong>, and those\u200c taking \u2063it can \u200dhave \u200daccess to a \u2063question bank with\u2062 answers\u200b before taking the test.<\/p>\n<p>However, the new test \u2062would \u200badd a <a\u200b href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/biden-admin-sues-az-law-requiring-voters-show-proof-citizenship\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u2063 rel=\"noopener\">speaking\u2062 section<\/a> in \u200cwhich citizenship\u2064 applicants would \u200dbe shown a picture \u2063and \u2062have \u2062to\u200d describe it \u2014 in \u200dEnglish.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor me, I\u200c think \u200bit\u200b would be \u200dharder to look at pictures \u200cand explain them,\u201d said \u2062Heaven\u200b Mehreta, who came to\u200d the \u2063U.S. from Ethiopia 10 years \u200dago\u200c and \u200dpassed the\u200d test\u2064 last\u200d year, \u200baccording\u2062 to\u2064 the \u2062AP.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe should not create additional barriers \u200cto naturalization\u200c when there are\u2062 already\u200b so\u200b many,\u201d said\u200b Jennifer\u200c Anzardo\u200d Valdes, \u200ddeputy\u200d director at \u2062Miami-based\u2064 Americans \u2063for Immigrant Justice, \u200daccording to <a\u2063 href=\"https:\/\/www.axios.com\/2023\/07\/15\/us-citizenship-test-english-biden\" target=\"_blank\" \u2063rel=\"noopener\">Axios<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Helena Coric,\u200d the \u200bNational\u200d Immigration Forum\u2019s assistant vice \u200dpresident \u200bof \u2062Business Engagement \u2064&#038; \u200dInclusion Programs, said even the\u200d current \u2064English \u200brequirement \u2063is \u2064a \u2064barrier to\u2062 citizenship, keeping immigrants with\u2064 low \u200cproficiency\u200d levels from\u200b even \u200bapplying\u200c for citizenship, \u200baccording \u200dto \u2063Axios. A\u200c harder\u200c version \u2062will\u2062 just\u200d make that \u200bworse.<\/p>\n<p>She \u200bsaid the federal\u2062 government should \u201chave an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/psaki-were-not-always-best-on-messaging-to-everyone-on-vaccines-for-conservatives-we-contacted-nascar\/\" title=\"Psaki: We\u2019re Not Always Best On Messaging To Everyone On Vaccines, For Conservatives We Contacted NASCAR\">implementation plan<\/a> \u200dthat allows \u2062vulnerable \u200cpopulations\u2063 an option \u2063to\u2064 take the current version\u200c of\u200d the \u2062test by request.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>Debate\u200c Over\u2064 Changes<\/h3>\n<p>The current version of the test\u200d also includes \u200dan oral, \u2063short-answer \u200dsection about\u200b U.S.\u2062 history and\u2062 government. The new\u200c version\u2063 would make \u200dthat\u200d multiple \u200bchoice.<\/p>\n<p>Some \u2062immigrant advocates questioned that change.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThough multiple \u2062choice might \u200csound easier\u200c to many people,\u200c it \u200cdoes \u2064mean \u2064that it\u2019s going from an\u2062 oral test to essentially \u200ca \u200creading\u2062 test,\u201d\u200b Jessica \u200dChicco,\u200b director\u2063 of\u2063 the \u2064New Americans\u2063 Initiative at the \u2063Massachusetts\u2063 Immigrant \u2062&#038; Refugee Advocacy \u200cCoalition,\u200c said.<\/p>\n<p>However, Elizabeth Jacobs, \u200cdirector of\u200b <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-asia-czars-holdings-may-present-conflict-of-interest\/\" title=\"Biden Asia Czar\u2019s Holdings May Present Conflict of Interest\">regulatory affairs<\/a> and\u200c policy at the conservative Center for\u200d Immigration \u2064Studies,\u2064 argued \u200dthat the Biden\u2064 test is\u200b actually \u200ceasier than \u2064the current \u2062one, \u200caccording\u2064 to the AP.<\/p>\n<p>She said a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/new-us-citizenship-test-requiring-greater-english-skills-draws-<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/are-covid-case-surges-more-fake-news\/\" title=\"Are COVID Case Surges More Fake News?\">concerns<\/a>-from-immigrants-and-advocates-too-difficult\/&#8221; title=&#8221;New US citizenship test causing worries among immigrants and advocates &#8211; too hard.&#8221;>multiple-choice\u200c format reduces<\/a> the need for\u200c immigrants\u2063 to \u200cactually \u2064memorize information \u200babout the country\u2064 they \u200cwant\u200d to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/states-take-aim-at-house-wholesalers-who-flood-poor-areas\/\" title=\"States Take Aim at House Wholesalers Who Flood Poor Areas\">call home<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>She \u200bsaid the\u200b test should \u2062include \u200dmore material\u2064 like American values\u2062 such as \u2062religious freedom \u2062and freedom\u2063 of \u200bspeech.<\/p>\n<h3>Concerns\u200c and Statistics<\/h3>\n<p>In \u200b2018,\u2064 the\u200b <a\u200d href=\"https:\/\/citizensandscholars.org\/resource\/national-survey-finds-just-1-in-3-americans-would-pass-citizenship-test\/\" \u2063target=\"_blank\"\u200c rel=\"noopener\">Institute for \u2063Citizens &#038; Scholars<\/a> released a survey \u200bthat said overall\u200d only\u2063 36 \u200cpercent \u200cof Americans\u2064 could \u200cpass a \u2063test made\u2064 up of\u200b questions \u2063from \u200bthe<a \u2064href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/op-ed-reject-democrats-efforts-turn-american-citizenship-another-handout\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u2062 rel=\"noopener\"> citizenship<\/a> exam.<\/p>\n<p>The group \u2062reported\u200c in\u2064 <a\u200b href=\"https:\/\/citizensandscholars.org\/resource\/national-survey-finds-just-1-in-3-americans-would-pass-citizenship-test\/\">2019<\/a>\u200c that \u200din 49\u2064 of 50\u2064 states, the majority of respondents \u2064failed\u2063 the\u2063 test.\u200d Vermont was \u200cthe\u2064 sole exception. \u2064No state had\u2064 a\u2064 double-digit\u200d share \u200bof respondents getting \u200dthe \u200bequivalent\u200b of an A \u2064on\u2063 the test.<\/p>\n<p>The post <a \u2064rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/new-us-citizenship-test-requiring-greater-english-skills-draws-concerns-immigrants-advocates-difficult\/\">New \u200bUS Citizenship Test Requiring\u2064 Greater \u2064English\u2062 Skills\u2064 Draws Concerns from\u200b Immigrants\u2062 and Advocates \u2013 \u2062Too\u200b Difficult<\/a> appeared\u200c first \u2063on \u200b<a rel=\"nofollow\"\u2063 href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\">The \u200dWestern\u200d Journal<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Advocates fear Biden&#8217;s new citizenship test will be too challenging. The current test, in use since 2008, was revised by Trump in 2020, criticized for its difficulty. In 2021, the Biden administration discarded it, raising concerns among immigrant advocates.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":661,"featured_media":1974541,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[548],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1974540","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-conservative-news-daily"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1974540","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/661"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1974540"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1974540\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1974541"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1974540"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1974540"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1974540"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}