This is a response to Robert August’s letter (Dec. 22). I thank him for his letter.
Members of the Somali community in Maine are trying hard to become U.S citizens. There are procedures that every refugee has to follow.
During their first year in the United States, refugees have to apply for a green card (permanent resident) but cannot apply to become U.S. citizens until they have lived in the U.S. for five years. The Somalis in Lewiston and Auburn are becoming U.S citizens after they have lived in this country for five years.
Even though English is not their first language, they are taking citizenship classes in the local adult education system and community-based classes like ours. We provide citizenship classes for immigrant and refugee families in Lewiston and Auburn.
In our citizenship program, parents come to learn the citizenship questions in English that are required to become U.S citizens.
We started our citizenship class in 2009 with five parents. Today, we have 212 parents who come to our weekend citizenship classes. These parents came to our program with little or no English skills.
We have bilingual volunteers who sit with parents and explain the lessons in their own language. We also have volunteers from Bates who come and assist these parents with their citizenship classes.
Out of 212 parents we have, to date, 78 parents who became citizens from our weekend program. There are more parents who become citizens from local adult education, too.
Rilwan Osman, Lewiston
Director, Somali Bantu Youth Association of Maine
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