Holding door open
Immigs cheer as News offers citizenship assistance
HUNDREDS OF IMMIGRANTS hoping to become naturalized U.S. citizens flocked Saturday to a CUNY/Daily News Citizenship Now! event promising to guide them through the process.
The American hopefuls received appointments for help with their citizenship applications after calling in to the Citizenship Now! hotline last month.
“It’s amazing — they have volunteers everywhere,” said Bangladeshi native Rouzia Aktar after arriving at the event at John Jay College in Manhattan.
Aktar, who moved to the U.S. from Bangladesh just over five years ago, said she is relishing the chance to become an American citizen.
“I just love this country,” Aktar added. “You can go to school. You can have a full-time job or part-time job. If you really try hard you can really get it.”
Aktar and the other hopefuls through interviews to determine first sat whether they’ve lived in the U.S. for more than five years. Once that was affirmed, volunteer experts guided them through the 20-page application.
“We are aiming to help 700 people,” said Sophia Carreno, the communications coordinator for the event.
Aminata Toure, 28, who moved to the Bronx from Mali about five years ago, gushed about the support she received.
“This just confirms just how great this country is and why everybody wants to be here,” said Toure, who works as a home health care aide.
“If I’m a citizen, I’m going to take all the opportunity of schooling. I want to go to college. I want to be a nurse.”
Anita Francis, 69, moved to the U.S. from Antigua in 1980.
“I'm applying for citizenship because when it comes to voting time, I think I should be giving back more to the United States,” said Francis, who lives in the Bronx.
“I’m living here and not in Antigua where I was born. It is time I became a citizen. I should have done that a long time ago.”