Twenty people officially became U.S. citizens at the Central Library in Portland on Wednesday. The naturalization ceremony is the last step in a long process, which for many people involves being a resident of the U.S. for at least three years.
Applicants have to answer questions like:
- Have you ever been a member of or in any way associated with a terrorist organization?
- Have you ever committed a crime for which you were not arrested?
- Do you owe any Federal, State, or local taxes that are overdue?
Would-be citizens must also take an oath of allegiance and pass a test in order to demonstrate their knowledge of American civics. The test consists of 10 questions chosen at random from a list of 100 questions including:
- What does the Constitution do?
- Who makes federal laws?
- How many United States senators are there?
- Who becomes President if both the President and the Vice President can no longer serve?
- What cabinet-level agency advises the President on foreign policy?
- How many justices are on the Supreme Court?
- What group of people was taken to America and sold as slaves?
- What did Susan B. Anthony do?
Have you gone through the process to become a U.S. citizen? What was it like? What made you decide to become a citizen? If you were born in the United States, how well do you think you would do on the test to become a citizen?