Jorge Mario Cabrera, who was born in El Salvador but has been a permanent resident here for 20 years, passionately spoke about his family's recent decision to become U.S. citizens at a press conference June 14.
The momentous spring marches of thousands of undocumented men, women and children, along with proposed anti-immigrant legislation, had convinced him and his 71-year-old mother to apply for citizenship.
"In any democracy, people express their voices through the voting booth," Cabrera said first in Spanish and then English to journalists outside the Los Angeles Convention Center. "I believe that in my case I want to be able to actively participate in the benefit of my community. And I can only do that by becoming a citizen.
"Four hundred dollars an application is a high price to pay," he pointed out. "But it is a much higher price to pay if we do not become citizens of this country. Because that price is to remain silent. And that is a price I'm not willing to pay."
The We Are America Coalition of religious, labor and community-based organizations held the press conference to announce "Citizenship Day," which will kick off "Democracy Summer."
The national campaign to increase civic participation of immigrants will help eligible people become U.S. citizens. Its coast-to-coast goal is to have one million immigrants both naturalized and registered to vote.
On Citizenship Day - also to be held at the Convention Center on July 1 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. - volunteers will provide free citizenship orientation and help immigrants fill out applications forms, along with taking necessary photos. Applicants will be responsible for paying the $400 application and fingerprinting fee.
"In the last three months we have seen unprecedented participation of immigrants and their allies advocating for just and equitable immigration laws," said Angela Sanbrano of the Central American Resource Center (CARECEN). "Now we need to translate these mobilizations into concrete, direct political action.
"One important way of doing this is by translating this participation into votes. And one first and necessary step for immigrants who qualify is to become citizens. We call on all immigrants who qualify not to wait to apply later on. The time to do it is now."
Alvaro Huerta from CHIRLA, the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights Los Angeles, stressed that Democracy Summer - through a series of actions and events - is going to engage not only the immigrant community, but everyone who believes that immigration reform must be just, humane and realistic.
"Naturalization and citizenship is a win-win situation for everyone," he declared. "It's not about just the person. Our nation is greater when we have more citizens who are participating in the politics of our country."
Kyung Ja Lee, a 61-year-old native of Korea who immigrated to the United States with three children in 1987, said she wanted to apply for citizenship in the past but was too busy working in the garment industry and raising her kids. She noted that the whole process had become much harder with the higher application cost and rigid knowledge of English plus American history and government requirements.
"I do not want to wait any longer," she said. "I will not miss out on this opportunity. When I become a citizen, I will add my voice by voting against policies that make immigrants insecure." |