OPL meeting with Latino and Latina leaders

Click photo to view the Slide Show

On Wednesday, February 11, 2009, high-ranking members of the Obama administration met with dozens of Latino and Latina leaders to talk about priorities for the new Administration and how we can work together.

• Read more about the meeting here.
• View the Slide Show.

New program, first in U.S., helps immigrants save for citizenship

New program, first in U.S., helps immigrants save for citizenship By Jessie Mangaliman, SJ Mercury News, 02/14/09
A first-of-its-kind program that helps poor immigrants pay the costly citizenship application fee is under way in San Jose.

• CET Nation Headquarters
• 701 Vine Street, 2nd Floor
• San Jose, CA 95110
• 408.287.7924, 408.534.5360
• info@cet2000.org
• Info: Local Offices

VOAVideo: Obama Reassures Public on Economic Revival

Obama Reassures Public on Economic Revival
U.S. President Barack Obama says the United States will emerge from uncertain economic times stronger than before. VOA White House Correspondent Paula Wolfson reports in his first speech to a joint session of Congress, the president made the case for his economic policies.

USCIS 100:96-100

I promise to be a loyal American citizen!

Today we will listen to the new 100 Questions 96-100.
It is the tenth of ten podcasts for the new 100 questions.

Direct download: q100_96-100.mp3

You can also listen to the new

1. 100 Questions 1-12
2. 100 Questions 13-25
3. 100 Questions 26-36
4. 100 Questions 37-47
5. 100 Questions 48-57
6. 100 Questions 58-70
7. 100 Questions 71-77
8. 100 Questions 78-87
9. 100 Questions 88-95

USCIS 100:88-95

Good Job!

USCIS 100:88-95

Today we will listen to the new 100 Questions 88-95.

It is the ninth of ten podcasts for the new 100 questions.

Direct download: q100_88-95.mp3

You can also listen to the new

1. 100 Questions 1-12
2. 100 Questions 13-25
3. 100 Questions 26-36
4. 100 Questions 37-47
5. 100 Questions 48-57
6. 100 Questions 58-70
7. 100 Questions 71-77
8. 100 Questions 78-87

USCIS 100:78-87

Her brother served as a soldier in the Iraq War.

USCIS 100:78-87

Today we will listen to the new 100 questions 78-87.
It is the eighth of ten podcasts for the new 100 questions.
Direct download: q100_78-87.mp3

You can also listen to the new

1. Presidents Day Special
2. 100 Questions 1-12
3. 100 Questions 13-25
4. 100 Questions 26-36
5. 100 Questions 37-47
6. 100 Questions 48-57
7. 100 Questions 58-70
8. 100 Questions 71-77

USCIS 100:71-77

See more Vintage Patriotic Ephemera collected by Suzee Que.
Happy Birthday George Washington!

USCIS 100:71-77

Today we will listen to the new 100 Questions 71-77.

It is the seventh of ten podcasts for the new 100 questions.

Direct download: q100_71-77.mp3

You can also listen to the new

1. Presidents Day Special
2. 100 Questions 1-12
3. 100 Questions 13-25
4. 100 Questions 26-36
5. 100 Questions 37-47
6. 100 Questions 48-57
7. 100 Questions 58-70

USCIS 100:58-70

The newest citizen flashes her biggest smile!

USCIS 100:58-70

Today we will listen to the new 100 Questions 58-70.
It is the sixth of ten podcasts for the new 100 questions.
Direct download: q100_58-70.mp3

You can also listen to the new

1. Presidents Day Special
2. 100 Questions 1-12
3. 100 Questions 13-25
4. 100 Questions 26-36
5. 100 Questions 37-47
6. 100 Questions 48-57

USCIS 100:48-57

Red, White, and New (Citizen)!

USCIS 100:48-57

Today we will listen to the new 100 Question 48-57.
It is the fifth of ten podcasts for the new 100 questions.
Direct download: q100_48-57.mp3

Pay close attention to Question 55:

What are two ways that Americans

can participate in their democracy?

You can also listen to the new

1. Presidents Day Special
2. 100 Questions 1-12
3. 100 Questions 13-25
4. 100 Questions 26-36
5. 100 Questions 37-47
   

USCIS 100:37-47

Erika's husband is so proud of the new citizen in his life--Erika!

USCIS 100:37-47

Today we will listen to the new 100 Questions 37-47. It is the fourth of ten podcasts for the new 100 questions. Direct download: q100_37-47.mp3

You can also listen to the new

1. Presidents Day Special
2. 100 Questions 1-12
3. 100 Questions 13-25
4. 100 Questions 26-36

USCIS 100:26-36

New Citizen: Faridah!

USCIS 100:26-36

Today we will listen to the new 100 Questions 26-36. It is the third of ten podcasts for the new 100 questions. Direct download: q100_26-36.mp3

You can also listen to the new

• Presidents Day Special
• 100 Questions 1-12
• 100 Questions 13-25
  

USCIS 100:13-25

Chinh H. Nguyen is delighted to be a new US Citizen!

USCIS 100:13-25

Today we will listen to the new 100 Questions 13-25. It is the second of ten podcasts for the new 100 questions. Direct download: q100_13-25.mp3

You can also listen to the new 100 Questions 1-12 and the Presidents Day Special.

Presidents' Day!

See more @ US Mint

Presidents Day 2009

Today we will listen to the 96 & 100 questions related to Presidents Day.

USCIS 100:01-12

Here is the first podcast on the new 100 Questions (USCIS 100).

EL Civics Photo Essays:

• Presidents Day
• Abraham Lincoln
• George Washington

HIP Pocket Change
How well do you know the presidents on the coins in your pocket? Find out with our new game, "Presidential Portraits." Just match the clues you get with a presidential head or the "heads" side of a coin. Great fun—and the clues are never the same twice!

Susan B. Anthony Day!

The Susan B. Anthony dollar is a United States coin minted from 1979 to 1981, and again in 1999. It depicts women's suffrage campaigner Susan B. Anthony. The reverse depicts an eagle flying above the moon (with the Earth in the background), a design adapted from the Apollo 11 mission insignia that was also present on the previously issued Eisenhower dollar (Source: Wikipedia: SBA).

77. What did Susan B. Anthony do?

• fought for women’s rights
• fought for civil rights

Susan B. Anthony was born in Massachusetts on February 15, 1820. She is known for campaigning for the right of women to vote. She spoke out publicly against slavery and for equal treatment of women in the workplace.

In 1920, the 19th Amendment to the Constitution gave women the right to vote. Susan B. Anthony died 14 years before the adoption of the 19th Amendment, but it was still widely known as the Susan B. Anthony Amendment.

In 1979, she became the first woman whose image appeared on a circulating U.S. coin. The coin is called the Susan B. Anthony dollar and is worth one dollar. (source: USCIS M-638)

See also:

• America's Story: Susan B. Anthony
• EL Civics: Susan B. Anthony
• Rutgers: Papers of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony
• The Susan B. Anthony House
• Wikipedia: Susan B. Anthony
• Wikipedia: The Susan B. Anthony Dollar
• Wikipedia: (International) Timeline of Women's Sufferage
• VOANews: Susan B. Anthony, 1820-1906: She Led the Fight to Gain Equal Rights for Women, Including the Right to Vote

Vintage Patriotic Ephemera

See more Vintage Patriotic Ephemera collected by Suzee Que.

Happy St Valentine's Day! Happy Presidents' Week!

The Many Faces of Lincoln

Illustration by Michael Cho

The Many Faces of Lincoln (slide show)

Lincoln Monuments Reviews by WILLIAM SAFIRE, NTimes
A guide to the deluge of books occasioned by the 200th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s birth.

• Caricatures of Lincoln
• Times Topics: Abraham Lincoln

The Lincoln Bicentennial 1809-2009

2009 Lincoln Bicentennial 4 of 4- Lincoln the President
By the time Lincoln was inaugurated on March 4, 1861, seven southern states had already seceded and formed the Confederacy (the rest joined in April). Seeking initially to preserve the Union, then eventually working to end slavery, Lincoln struggled against the Confederacy as well as his own military. He learned the ways of a war leader quickly and was able, after four bloody years, to bring the conflict to a close in 1865. He was not able to enjoy the fruits of victory or lead the effort to reconcile the nation, the victim of assassination on April 14, 1865.

Watch: The HISTORY CHANNEL

National Teach-In on Lincoln
LIVE February 12, 2009 at 1:30pm EST.

Abraham Lincoln defines the civic ideal of what it means to be an American.

Two centuries after Lincoln’s birth, the nation is still in formation. The United States has grown and expanded, one cost of that growth has been a splintering of many parts of our society. Competing values, interests, and beliefs, have complicated Lincoln’s goal to find unity in our diversity.

The Bicentennial commemoration of his life and legacy will be a bright beacon to completing our nation’s “unfinished work.” (Text adapted from the The Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial commemoration)

Listen: Podcasts for the Abraham Lincon Bicentennial

ESL Podcast Blog: Happy Birthday, Abe!
Today is the 200th anniversary of the birth of the United States’ 16th president, Abraham Lincoln...

LOC: Lincoln on Flickr

2009 Lincoln Bicentennial - Lincoln the Politician
The seven Lincoln-Douglas debates were some of the most well-attended political events of the time. Illinois was a swing state and the issue of slavery was the main topic of discussion nationwide. It was the model for future debates, including those for President. Stephen Douglas's Democratic Party won the majority of the state legislature and thus was appointed to the Senate (this was before the direct election of Senators). However Lincoln gained the attention of the nation and would use this exposure on his way to the Oval Office.

In honor of Abraham Lincoln’s 200th birthday — and in advance of the Library of Congress' blockbuster Lincoln exhibit — the LOC has uploaded a new set of 22 photos of Lincoln to Flickr. The set includes the earliest known photo of Lincoln (daguerreotype), which was taken in 1846 or 1847. There are other unique and iconic images of Lincoln, his family, and even his funeral procession. More Lincoln imagery from the Library’s online collections can be found here.

Presidents Day 2009 Special from USCitizenPod

2009 Lincoln Bicentennial 2 of 4 - Lincoln the Lawyer
The first stamp with Lincoln's picture was issued in 1866. Since then he has been one of the most popular figures to be portrayed on U.S. postage, as well as in the stamps of other countries. Lincoln married Mary Todd in 1842. They had four children, but only Robert Todd Lincoln survived into adulthood.

Presidents Day 2009

Today we will listen to the 96 & 100 questions related to Presidents Day.

We have almost completed the recording of the new 100 questions. The audio recordings of the new 100 questions will begin to post during Presidents Week. There will be ten to fifteen questions per podcast.

VOANews: The Complex Story of Abraham Lincoln and How He Saved the Union

2009 Lincoln Bicentennial 1 of 4 - Lincoln the Railsplitter

Taken from an early depiction of Lincoln splitting logs for making a fence. This "blue-collar" image was used by the Republican Party to connect the candidate to the average American. Born in Kentucky, the Lincoln family moved to Indiana, finally settling in Illinois. In addition politics he served in the Illinois militia during the Black Hawk War and was a shopkeeper as well as a lawyer.

VOANews: The Complex Story of Abraham Lincoln and How He Saved the Union
On THIS IS AMERICA: The 16th president, born 200 years ago this Thursday, opposed slavery and led a civil war that ended it. Yet he originally thought the slave-holding states should be left alone.

The San Jose Tet Festival

One of San Jose's proudest expressions of civic pride is the San Jose Tet Festival (Vietnamese New Year Parade).

San Jose State University VSA carries the American flag

San Jose State University VSA carries
the Vietnamese Heritage Flag

For more photos, see VSAs at the Vietnamese Spring Festival & Parade

by YellowTailShark

Where's George?

Where's George? ® 2.2
Track US or Canadian dollar bills as they travel across the country. Enter the serial number and zip code to track its past history.

Wikipedia: Where's George?

WhiteHouse.gov: "The Presidents" slideshow

WhiteHouse.gov recently posted an outstanding slideshow entitled "The Presidents" complete with links to each president's biography.

VOAVideo: U.S. Hispanics Pin Hopes on Obama Administration

U.S. Hispanics Pin Hopes on Obama Administration
Hispanics are now the largest minority group in the United States, and like other minorities they are looking to the Obama administration to resolve the current economic crisis as well as address a wide range of issues. For Hispanics, who now make up 15 percent of the nation's population, immigration and education are top priorities. VOA's Mike O'Sullivan reports from Los Angeles.

KTUU Alaska: For some, deployment ceremony includes citizenship oath

For some, deployment ceremony includes citizenship oath by Ted Land, KTUU ANCHORAGE, Alaska

Preparing to leave for a tour of duty in Afghanistan, 23 soldiers took the oath to become United States citizens...

Black Heritage Stamps

Teachers.net #4319. Design a Postage Stamp for Black History Month

Creating commemorative postage stamp designs is a good way for students to celebrate Black History Month and the inauguration of Barack Obama as our 44th president.

Also visit the Black History Month website

Smithsonian Online Postal Museum: Black Heritage Stamps

Also see the Smithsonian online exhibit: The History and Experience of African Americans in America’s Postal Service

Black History Month: The Quest for Black Citizenship in the Americas

February is Black History Month.

This year's theme is "The Quest for Black Citizenship in the Americas."

The theme highlights the problem of race and citizenship in US history, from the experiences of free Blacks in a land of slavery to the political aspirations of African Americans.

The theme also provides an opportunity to explore the history of other nations in the Americas, where former slaves also sought the rights, responsibilities, and privledges, of citizenship.

Also see ELCivics Black History Month for Beginner-Intermediate materials.

In School for the First Time, Teenage Immigrants Struggle

New Citizen: Grace Zhong!

In School for the First Time, Teenage Immigrants Struggle By JENNIFER MEDINA, NYTimes More than 15,000 students in New York schools have had little or no formal schooling and face unique problems.

• Video: The Education of Harunur Rashid (must see!)