Immigrants get help on citizenship process
Tomio Geron
www.presstelegram.com
Apr 2, 2007
LONG BEACH - Maria Magdalena Silva, 82, a legal permanent resident who has lived in the United States for 25 years, is ready to become a citizen.
But the busy mother of 11 children was never able to find the time for the application process.
"I want to become a citizen because there are more benefits and also so I can vote," Silva of Long Beach said through a translator.
Silva was one of many who came to a citizenship workshop Saturday sponsored by Centro Community Hispanic Association.
The workshop, held at Roosevelt Elementary School, assisted residents with advice and help in filling out the N-400 application for citizenship.
"Our goal is to assist legal permanent residents to engage in civic participation, become naturalized citizens and become part of the democratic system," said Jessica Quintana, executive director of Centro CHA, which has been holding such workshops for four years.
Many people do not understand the application process, and some go to lawyers or brokers who charge exorbitant fees for basically filling out a form, Quintana said.
"We don't want them to go to people who charge you all this money because people are being taken," Quintana said. "The city of Long Beach has a lot of new immigrants."
Because the application fee payable to the federal government is $400, Quintana seeks to make sure that residents' applications are complete and correct so that the money does not go to waste.
Centro CHA charges a $75 fee for its citizenship services, including photographs, mailing costs and a review of all paperwork.
Long Beach resident Maria Castro was excited to have her parents, Maria Padilla, 74, and Salvador Padilla, 79, complete their applications.
"I think it's a very special challenge because they've waited a long time but it's really good for them," Castro said of her parents, who immigrated 15 years ago from Tepatitlan, Mexico. "They always wanted it."
About 100 people were expected to fill out applications Saturday, Quintana said.
The average time required to receive citizenship after applying used to be about one year, but has reportedly decreased to six to eight months, Quintana said.
A number of parents of Roosevelt students are immigrants and can benefit from the workshop, said Lorraine Griego, the school's vice principal
