Press Freedom Day Notes Impact of 'Citizen Journalists'

VOAVideo: Press Freedom Day Notes Impact of 'Citizen Journalists'

Next week, in Washington, the United Nations will mark World Press Freedom Day. This year's event comes at a time when social media, mobile phones and the Internet are playing an increasing role in giving a voice to the voiceless. And as recent events in the Middle East and North Africa have shown, online or so called citizen journalists are having a big impact. VOA's William Ide has more.

West Wing Week: 4/29/11 or "Final Adjustments"

VOAVideo: West Wing Week: 4/29/11 or "Final Adjustments"

This week, the President celebrated Easter, worked on short term and long term ways to get away from high gas prices, pledged support for Alabama and other states in the South hit by devastating storms and announced new key members of his National Security team.

President Obama on His Birth Certificate & the Real Issues Facing America

wh.gov: President Obama on His Birth Certificate & the Real Issues Facing America

President Obama discusses the release of his long form birth certificate, having long ago released his standard birth certificate, and says that "We've got big problems to solve. And I'm confident we can solve them, but we're going to have to focus on them -- not on this."

Also: VOAVideo: The White House Releases Obama's Birth Certificate

New N-400 Section Resources

Two new N-400 section 10 quizzes from uscitizenpod PLUS the updated N-400 Practice page

• *NEW* N-400 Section 10 Overview


• *NEW* N-400 Section 10 Vocabulary Quiz


• **UPDATED** USCITIZENPOD N-400 PRACTICE PAGE

Complete N-400 Interviews

• Before the Interview


• Intro Citizenship Interview


• Easy Citizenship Interview


• Simple Citizenship Interview


• Basic Citizenship Interview


• Advanced Citizenship Interview

N-400 Interviews by Part/Section

• Part 1: Name


• Part 2 and 3: Eligibility and Personal Info


• Part 4 and 5: Address and Criminal Record Info


• Part 6: Residence and Employment History


• Part 6: Employment History (only)


• Part 7: Travel


• Part 8: Marital History


• Part 9: Children

N-400 Section 10 Interviews

• Part 10A: General Questions


• Part 10BC: Affiliations


• Part 10D: Moral Character


• Part 10EFG: Deportation and Military Service


• Part 10H: Oath Requirements

N-400 Section 10 Quizzes

• *NEW* N-400 Section 10 Overview


• *NEW* N-400 Section 10 Vocabulary Quiz


• N-400 Part 10 Quiz (2008)


• N-400 Part 10A Quiz


• N-400 Part 10BC Quiz


• N-400 Part 10D Quiz


• N-400 Part 10EFG Quiz


• N-400 Part 10H Quiz

N-400 Tests

• N-400 Citizenship Test 2009


• Oath of Allegiance Quiz

John James Audubon

TwtTwt 2011-0426 John James Audubon Bird Paintings on Stamps


John James Audubon (April 26, 1785 – January 27, 1851) was a French-American ornithologist, naturalist, and an artist.

In 1803, Audubon immigrated to America to study American birds with the goal of painting them in a more realistic style and natural setting. Audubon married, had two children, and became a US Citizen in 1812. In 1826, he published his masterwork, THE BIRDS OF AMERICA, and added more painting to each edition.

Audubon's love for America shines through his art and life, representing the new American people of the United States.

This video was inspired by the Audubon Google Doodle in honor of Audubon's 226th birthday--see http://www.google.com/logos/ Apr 26, 2011. Dedicated to Every Bird (especially Parakeets!).

Checkout TweetTweetParakeet.com; Follow us on Twitter: TwtTwtParakeet.

Easter Prayer Breakfast

wh.gov: Easter Prayer Breakfast

President Obama participates in an Easter Prayer Breakfast at the White House. April 19, 2011.

Unique US Citizen Politicians Represent Their Neighbors

55. What are two ways that Americans can participate in their democracy?



VOAVide: Unique US Citizen Politicians Represent Their Neighbors

When the District of Columbia swore in its newly-elected mayor and council in January, about 300 ordinary Washingtonians also took an oath as representatives of local citizens' groups called Advisory Neighborhood Commissions - or ANCs. Each ANC is made up of ordinary citizens, elected by residents of their immediate neighborhoods to represent the interests of those neighbors to the Washington City Council.

USCIS 100:55. What are two ways that Americans can participate in their democracy?

▪ vote
▪ join a political party
▪ help with a campaign
▪ join a civic group
▪ join a community group
▪ give an elected official your opinion on an issue
▪ call Senators and Representatives
▪ publicly support or oppose an issue or policy
▪ run for office
▪ write to a newspaper

GO GREEN with USPS stamps

uscitizenpod: GO GREEN with USPS stamps on Flickr

In honor of Earth Day 2011 and in celebration of the new USPS GO GREEN Forever stamp series, US Citizenship Podcast presents a collection of stamps reflecting America's ongoing commitment to make EARTH DAY, EVERY DAY!



uscitizenpod: GO GREEN with USPS Stamps on YouTube

Texas Celebrates Battle that Led to Independence from Mexico

USCIS 100:72. Name one war fought by the United States in the 1800s.



VOAVideo: Texas Celebrates Battle that Led to Independence from Mexico

One of the most consequential battles in North American history occurred 175 years ago on a field just east of current-day Houston, Texas. In the battle of San Jacinto, on April 21, 1836, a ragtag Texas rebel army of about 900 men defeated some 1,500 Mexican soldiers and won independence. This led to the Mexican-American War in which the United States acquired California and other southwestern states - leading to disputes over the expansion of slavery and ultimately to the U.S. Civil War. As VOA's Greg Flakus reports from Houston, the shots fired in 1836 reverberate across the southwestern United States today.

USCIS 100:72. Name one war fought by the United States in the 1800s.

▪ War of 1812
▪ Mexican-American War
▪ Civil War
▪ Spanish-American War

Historian Recounts Role of Chinese Americans Who Fought In US Civil War

VOANews: Historian Recounts Role of Chinese Americans Who Fought In US Civil War

Many people would be surprised to know that there were some Asian faces in the crowds of white and black soldiers serving in the American Civil War. The participation of Asians, particularly Chinese Americans, comes into focus this month as the United States marks the 150th anniversary of the start of the war.

Listen: Interview with Ruthanne Lum McCunn ((mp3)

Assoc. to Commemorate the Chinese serving in the American Civil War

African Americans Reflect on US Civil War

VOAVideo: African Americans Reflect on US Civil War

The U.S. Civil War began 150 years ago this week and became the deadliest conflict in U.S. history. More than a century later, people are debating the reasons for the war, slavery versus states' rights. Some historians and civil rights leaders suggest the legacies of the Civil War still have an impact on African Americans today. VOA's Chris Simkins has more the story

West Wing Week: 4/15/11 or "Open for Business"

wh.gov: West Wing Week: 4/15/11 or "Open for Business"

This week, with the threat of a government shutdown averted, President Obama focused on fiscal responsibility and balancing the need to cut spending and the deficit while continuing to support education, clean energy, and other investments needed to win the future. The Amir of Qatar also visited the White House.

150 Years Later, US Civil War Still Resonates

VOAVideo: 150 Years Later, US Civil War Still Resonates

This month marks the 150th anniversary of the beginning of the U.S. Civil War - a conflict that nearly tore the United States apart. Eleven southern states seceded from the Union and formed the Confederate States of America, vowing to maintain their economic system based on agriculture and slavery.

150th Anniversary of the Civil War

72. Name one war fought by the United States in the 1800s.

click picture to enlarge

73. Name the U.S. war between the North and the South.

74. Name one problem that led to the Civil War.



75. What was one important thing that Abraham Lincoln did?*


76. What did the Emancipation Proclamation do?

ESLPod Blog: 612,000 Today is the sesquicentennial (150th anniversary) of the first Battle of Fort Sumter, South Carolina, which marked (indicated) the beginning of the American Civil War. (read more)

VOA Learning English: 150 Years Later, US Still Debates Issues That Fueled Civil War

These include subjects like the relationship of federal power to state power, and race relations IN THE NEWS (download mp3)


72. Name one war fought by the United States in the 1800s.
▪ War of 1812
▪ Mexican-American War
▪ Civil War
▪ Spanish-American War

73. Name the U.S. war between the North and the South.
▪ the Civil War
▪ the War between the States

74. Name one problem that led to the Civil War.
▪ slavery
▪ economic reasons
▪ states’ rights

75. What was one important thing that Abraham Lincoln did?*
▪ freed the slaves (Emancipation Proclamation)
▪ saved (or preserved) the Union
▪ led the United States during the Civil War

76. What did the Emancipation Proclamation do?
▪ freed the slaves
▪ freed slaves in the Confederacy
▪ freed slaves in the Confederate states
▪ freed slaves in most Southern states

SPRING CLEANING: US Citizenship Podcast

It's Spring Break at Milpitas Adult School, and I am dusting off the uscitizenpod blog and adding new features PLUS I will upload my CATESOL citizenship workshop ppt. If you have any questions or suggestions, please email me at uscitizenpod@gmail.com. Thank you for your patience and continued support.

West Wing Week: 4/8/11 or "Windmills? Call Them Wind Turbines!"

wh.gov: West Wing Week: 4/8/11 or "Windmills? Call Them Wind Turbines!"
This week, President Obama focused on securing our nation's clean energy future, making stops at facilities in Maryland and Pennsylvania; met with Congressional leadership, hoping to avoid a government shutdown in the face of budget disagreements; and kept his eye on foreign policy, discussing world events with foreign heads of state.

April is National Poetry Month

USCIS 100:95. Where is the Statue of Liberty?*

1983horizons1: "The New Colossus" March 07, 2010 

"The New Colossus" is a poem written by Emma Lazarus in 1883 and was engraved inside the Statue of Liberty. The poem talks about the millions of immigrants who came to the United States (many of them through Ellis Island at the port of New York). The title of the poem, "The New Colossus" and the first two lines refer to the Colossus of Rhodes, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The "air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame" refers to New York City and Brooklyn, which were two separate cities in 1893.

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,

With conquering limbs astride from land to land;

Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand

A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame

Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name

Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand

Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command

The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.

"Keep ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she

With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

 USCIS 100:95. Where is the Statue of Liberty?*

• New York (Harbor)
• Liberty Island
• [Also acceptable are New Jersey, near New York City, and on the Hudson (River).]

Seven Muslim Americans on Ballot in Suburban Chicago

VOAVide: Seven Muslim Americans on Ballot in Suburban Chicago
When it started last year, the non-profit group Project Mobilize, or Project M, hoped to change the political landscape in suburban Chicago by promoting Muslim Americans as election candidates. So far, there are no Muslim Americans serving as elected officials in the Chicago area. But as VOA's Kane Farabaugh reports, Project M hopes that will change in municipal elections April 5.

President Barack Obama Begins Reelection Bid

VOAVideo: President Barack Obama Begins Reelection Bid
U.S. President Barack Obama on Monday launched his campaign for reelection. The announcement on a website video does not come as a surprise, but it does make Mr. Obama the first officially declared candidate for the November 2012 presidential election. VOA's Carolyn Presutti has more.

Republicans and Democrats Try To Close A Deal On Budget

VOAVideo: Republicans and Democrats Try To Close A Deal On Budget
With just one week to go before a possible government shutdown, President Barrack Obama and Democratic lawmakers are working to strike a deal with a divided republican party over the 2011 federal budget. The debate has highlighted an ideological split about the size and role of government, mostly along party lines, and how to stop a ballooning federal deficit. Freshmen republicans, including Tea Party pro-Republican members have fought hard for deep cuts in spending. Democrats have argued for a more measured approach. VOA's Jeff Swicord introduces us to two freshmen congressmen, a democrat and a republican, from different parts of the country who have opposing views on how to solve the nation's budget crisis.

Record Numbers of Visitors at DC's Cherry Blossom Festival

VOAVideo: Record Numbers of Visitors at DC's Cherry Blossom Festival
The National Cherry Blossom Festival is a spring time staple in Washington DC. The two-week event is centered on the Tidal Basin, an inlet alongside the Potomac River. It draws more than a million visitors each year and reflects the long-standing friendship between the US and Japan. The trees were donated to Washington by the Mayor of Tokyo in 1912. In light of the crisis after the recent earthquake and tsunami, this year some visitors have Japan on their mind more than ever before. VOA's June Soh has the story.

The Importance of Jury Duty

thisibelieve.org: The Importance of Jury Duty by Christina Habas - Denver, Colorado As heard on The Bob Edwards Show, January 7, 2011 As a judge in Denver District Court, Christina Habas has a unique view on the law. As important as judges and lawyers are to the judicial process, Habas believes jurors have the most vital role. And she hopes more of us will take the job more seriously. (text and audio avialble)

West Wing Week: "Under the Big Blue Whale"

wh.gov: West Wing Week: "Under the Big Blue Whale"

This week, President Obama focused on the situation in Libya, monitoring conditions on the ground and keeping Congress and the American people informed as the mission transitions from U.S. to NATO command. Education month also continued, with the President making stops at a multicultural high school in Washington, D.C., and dropping in on a science fair in New York City.