Pima County Public Library: Welcome To America: Meet The Team

Tucson AZ

17 August, 2021

11:09 AM

Description

Press release from the Pima County Public Library: PimaLib_Blog August 16, 2021 In this new blog series, we'll be introducing you to members of the Library's Welcome to America Team. Today, we're excited to introduce you to Linda G., who joined the team five years ago because "[she] remembered what it was like to move and get settled in a new country." September 24, 2010 was a special day to celebrate because that's when I became an American citizen! Overall, the process to apply for citizenship was surprisingly quick. Within 2 months after the application was sent, I received a notice of an appointment for the Civics test. I had just returned from a vacation in Hawaii with my family, and had about 2 weeks to study for the exam. The Naturalization test booklet and disc were included in the package with the notice, which was great. I used a study technique called layering (think of chocolate cake layers!) to learn the information. The test consisted of 10 questions. I answered all correctly! The USCIS officer thought I was kidding, when I asked if I could answer more test questions. If the officer has a sense of humor, this is fun! Otherwise, it's really not a good idea. He gave me a few more questions and the answers were correct. We laughed about this afterwards. While I did not have any hurdles or challenges with the process, the cost might be for some. To apply for U.S. citizenship, the current fee is $725. English language proficiency might be another challenge for others. There are English language exemptions and one might be able to take the civics test in their native language. This information is on the USCIS website. The United States is a very diverse, multi-racial and multi-ethnic country. People from around the world have been immigrating to the United States for several hundred years. At the Citizenship ceremony, it was so exciting to see people from about 15 countries become American citizens. Canada, my country, was included and represented, which gave me an overwhelming sense of pride with lots of mixed emotions. This was a special and significant moment for all of us! A Promised Land Walks of A Lifetime in America's National Parks Facing the Mountain She told us her favorite authors include Kristin Hannah, Elin Hilderbrand, Lisa Jewell, Erik Larson, Clare Mackintosh, and Lisa See. The Four Winds Golden Girl The Truth About Melody Browne The Splendid and the Vile Hostage The Island of Sea Women Linda is an active participant in creating content for the Library's website. Check out her booklist on citizenship and immigration or her blog posts (Gratitude and a Vision for Tomorrow, opens a new window and Countries, Culture, and a Passion for Teaching English!, opens a new window). List created by PimaLib_LindaG Helpful, informative books and other resources about U.S. citizenship and immigration, including some great books for children! View Full List Linda G. has worked for Pima County Public Library since 2006. She is currently a Library Associate at Oro Valley Public Library. In her spare time, Linda enjoys outdoor adventures, skiing, and golf. She also loves to travel and learn about different cultures. Her favorite destination has been Phuket, Thailand where her immediate family (14 people) got together for a big reunion. Always thinking of the next ideal dream vacation, she would really like to visit the "land down under" … Australia & New Zealand! This press release was produced by the Pima County Public Library. The views expressed here are the author's own.