An American Pentecost

American Pentecost: A Citizenship Quiz about Languages in America
Podcast | Video | PDF

An American Pentecost:

We are American Indians, Native Alaskans, Europeans, Latinos, Africans, Arabs, Asians, Pacific Islanders-- yet all of us hear America speaking in our own languages about FREEDOM!

For more info about languages spoken in America:

• Slate: Tagalog in California, Cherokee in Arkansas: What language does your state speak? By Ben Blatt (great graphics)
• http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/culturebox/2014/05/language_map_what_s_the_most_popular_language_in_your_state.html

• Wikipedia: Languages of the United States
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Languages_of_the_United_States

Voting Rights Act Sect 203

Section 203 targets those language minorities that have suffered a history of exclusion from the political process: Spanish, Asian, Native American, and Alaskan Native. The Census Bureau identifies specific language groups for specific jurisdictions.

Section 203 says that jurisdictions (cities, counties, states) shall provide election materials in the language of the applicable minority group as well as in the English language.

Sources:

• DOJ: MINORITY LANGUAGE CITIZENS: Section 203 of the voting Rights Act
• https://www.justice.gov/crt/language-minority-citizens 
• US Census: Voting Rights Determination File
• https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census/about/voting-rights/voting-rights-determination-file.html  
• GPO: Federal Registrar: Voting Rights Act Amendments of 2006, Determinations Under Section 203
• https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/12/08/2021-26547/voting-rights-act-amendments-of-2006-determinations-under-section-203#:~:text=Section%20203%20mandates%20that%20a,process%2C%E2%80%9D%20and%20if%20the%20rate 

2024-2025 MAE Citizenship Class 32

NY Historical Society: Oath of Allegiance // The Citizenship Project [E02]

Taking the Oath of Allegiance is an important part of the U.S. Citizenship Test. But what new duties and responsibilities do people swear to uphold?

Watch the NY Historical Society: The Citizenship Project video playlist. 

Also see

This is the last of our semester.  

• Future Citizenship: Symbols 115-130; Unit 4:6 Oath 170-172 
• 10 Practice Citizenship Interview based on the USCIS Form N-400 (2024)
• USCIS: Symbols and Celebrations
• The Pledge of Allegiance, The Oath of Allegiance, USCIS N-400 Part 9:45-50 (Attachment to the Constitution), and USCIS 100:52 pdf
• A Citizenship Quiz for Flag Day pdf

Resources for Summer:

• U.S. Citizenship Resources for June
• Happy Independence Day (July)
• Two-Generation Activities to Foster Civic Awareness
• Teaching U.S. Citizenship Preparation 2024-2025
• Top 10 U.S. Citizenship Preparation Resources for 2025
• A Quick Update of New Resources for U.S. Citizenship Prep

Balance of Powers, Part 13

Center for Civic Education: Passing the Buck and Pointing the Finger: Balance of Powers, Part 13

Why has Congress adopted a “passing the buck and pointing the finger” strategy when it comes to enacting legislation for certain responsibilities? Find out in this episode!

60-Second Civics, Episode 5376, May 29, 2025 (a rebroadcast of Episode 4681: August 3, 2022)

Subscribe and take the Daily Civics Quiz at http://civiced.org/60-second-civics

Learn more:

• si: Preparing for the Oath
• USCIS: The Executive Branch BL | IL
• USCIS: The Legislative Branch BL | IL
• USCIS: The Judicial Branch BL | IL
• uscitizenpod: The Supreme Court of the United States
• VOA Learning English: America's Presidents
• VOA Learning English: The U.S. Congress
• VOA Learning English: The U.S. Supreme Court

Balance of Powers, Part 12

Center for Civic Education: Reasons for the Shift of Power Away from Congress: Balance of Powers, Part 12

The balance of power shifted from Congress to the presidency during the administration of Franklin D. Roosevelt and has remained there to this day. Learn what factors lead to this shift in this episode!

60-Second Civics, Episode 5375, May 27, 2025 (a rebroadcast of Episode 4680: August 2, 2022)

Subscribe and take the Daily Civics Quiz at http://civiced.org/60-second-civics

Learn more:

• si: Preparing for the Oath
• USCIS: The Executive Branch BL | IL
• USCIS: The Legislative Branch BL | IL
• USCIS: The Judicial Branch BL | IL
• uscitizenpod: The Supreme Court of the United States
• VOA Learning English: America's Presidents
• VOA Learning English: The U.S. Congress
• VOA Learning English: The U.S. Supreme Court

U.S. Citizenship Resources for June

June is Immigrant Heritage Month, Caribbean American Heritage Month, and LGBTQIA2S+ Pride Month

June 8: Pentecost

June 14: Flag Day

June 15: Father's Day

June 19: Juneteenth

June 20: World Refugee Day

 

PBS: How the Public Library Became an American Civic Institution | Full Documentary | Independent Lens

Official website:  https://to.pbs.org/IL_2024 | #IndieLensPBS

Free For All: The Public Library tells the story of the quiet revolutionaries who made a simple idea happen. From the pioneering women behind the “Free Library Movement” to today's librarians who service the public despite working in a contentious age of closures and book bans, meet those who created a civic institution where everything is free and the doors are open to all.

Watch these scenes:

08:51 The First Public Library in America 11:21 Benjamin Franklin’s Public Works

29:04 Immigrants & Urban Libraries

Learn more: 

USCIS.gov: Libraries

Libraries play a critical role in serving immigrant communities. Through our joint effort with IMLS, we plan to educate librarians, and in turn their immigrant customers, on topics ranging from naturalization, the unauthorized practice of immigration law, and the importance of digital literacy.

• Library and Adult Education Citizenship Activities (PDF, 410 KB)
  Citizenship-related activities for libraries, such as welcoming and encouragement activities, community-outreach activities, and education-oriented activities.
• Assisting English Language Learners in Your Library (PDF, 139 KB)
  Suggestions for helping your English language learning patrons.
• Library Tours with ESL Classes (PDF, 190 KB)
  Tips for working with English as a second language (ESL) teachers and inviting new patrons to your library to help them explore the vast range of services and resources you provide.
• Creating a Citizenship Review Class in a Public Library (PDF, 499 KB)
  This tip sheet will give an overview of citizenship review classes and provide a sample model.

More Citizenship resources are available at National Library Week.

Balance of Powers, Part 11

Center for Civic Education: The Shift of Power: Balance of Powers, Part 11

From the establishment of our government under the Constitution until Franklin D. Roosevelt’s administration in the 1930s, Congress dominated the national government. But then power started to shift toward the executive branch. Learn more in this episode!

60-Second Civics, Episode 5374, May 26, 2025 (a rebroadcast of Episode 4679: August 1, 2022)

Subscribe and take the Daily Civics Quiz at http://civiced.org/60-second-civics

Learn more:

• si: Preparing for the Oath
• USCIS: The Executive Branch BL | IL
• USCIS: The Legislative Branch BL | IL
• USCIS: The Judicial Branch BL | IL
• uscitizenpod: The Supreme Court of the United States
• VOA Learning English: America's Presidents
• VOA Learning English: The U.S. Congress
• VOA Learning English: The U.S. Supreme Court

Balance of Powers, Part 10

Center for Civic Education: Physical Evidence of the Founders’ Intentions: Balance of Powers, Part 10

Even the placement and design of the three branches of government in the nation’s capital, Washington, D.C., provides physical evidence of the Founders’ intent that Congress dominate the national government. Listen to learn more!

60-Second Civics, Episode 5373, May 23, 2025 (a rebroadcast of Episode 4678: July 29, 2022)

Subscribe and take the Daily Civics Quiz at http://civiced.org/60-second-civics

Learn more:

• si: Preparing for the Oath
• USCIS: The Executive Branch BL | IL
• USCIS: The Legislative Branch BL | IL
• USCIS: The Judicial Branch BL | IL
• uscitizenpod: The Supreme Court of the United States
• VOA Learning English: America's Presidents
• VOA Learning English: The U.S. Congress
• VOA Learning English: The U.S. Supreme Court