US CITIZENSHIP PILOT EXAM Q & A

If the coming increased fees for US citizenship has you scrambling to file that application, also remember to set time to review for the citizenship test. Many fail this test because they think they can pass without studying. Well, good luck with that.

Anyway, late last year, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) released 144 questions and answers for the pilot test of a new naturalization exam.

USCIS included new questions that focus on the concepts of democracy and the rights and responsibilities of citizenship. It will refine the exam before it is fully implemented nationwide in the spring of 2008.

Here's Part 1 - the first 25 questions. I'll post the others within the week.

Pilot Exam Questions and Answers
1. Name one important idea found in the Declaration of Independence.
A: People are born with natural rights.
A: The power of government comes from the people
A: The people can change their government if it hurts their natural rights.
A: All people are created equal.

2. What is the supreme law of the land?
A: The Constitution

3. What does the Constitution do?
A: It sets up the government.
A: It protects basic rights of Americans.

4. What does “We the People” mean in the Constitution?
A: The power of government comes from the people.

5. What do we call changes to the Constitution?
A: Amendments

6. What is an amendment?
A: It is a change to the Constitution.

7. What do we call the first ten amendments to the Constitution?
A: The Bill of Rights

8. Name one right or freedom from the First Amendment.
Speech, Religion, Assembly, Press, Petition the government

9. How many amendments does the Constitution have?
A: Twenty-seven (27)

10. What did the Declaration of Independence do?
A: Announce the independence of the United States from Great Britain
A: Say that the U.S. is free from Great Britain

11. What does freedom of religion mean?
A: You can practice any religion you want, or not practice at all.

12. What type of economic system does the U.S. have?
A: Capitalist economy
A: Free market
A: Market economy

13. What are the three branches or parts of the government?
A: Executive, legislative, and judicial
A: Congress, the President, the courts

14. Name one branch or part of the government.
Congress, Legislative, President, Executive, The courts, Judicial

15. Who is in charge of the executive branch?
A: The President

16. Who makes federal laws?
A: Congress
A: The Senate and House (of Representatives)
A: The (U.S. or national) legislature

17. What are the two parts of the United States Congress?
A: The Senate and House (of Representatives)

18. How many United States Senators are there?
A: 100

19. We elect a U.S. Senator for how many years?
A: Six (6)

20. Name your state’s two U.S. Senators.
A: Answers will vary - check online. [For District of Columbia residents and residents of U.S. territories, the answer is that DC (or the territory where the applicant lives) has no U.S. Senators.]

21. How many U.S. Senators does each state have?
A: Two (2)

22. The House of Representatives has how many voting members?
A: 435

23. We elect a U.S. Representative for how many years?
A: Two (2)

24. Name your U.S. Representative.
A: Answers will vary. [Residents of territories with nonvoting delegates or resident commissioners may provide the name of that representative or commissioner. Also acceptable is any statement that the territory has no (voting) representatives in Congress.]

25. Who does a U.S. Senator represent?
A: All citizens in that Senator’s state

U.S. CITIZENSHIP FEES JUMPING TO $675

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the agency that processes immigration-related applications and petitions will dramatically increase fees on applications effective July 30, 2007.

The naturalization application for citizenship will become $675. It is currently set at $400 ($330 filing fee plus $70 “biometrics” fee), almost a 70% increase.

Other fee increases:
Green card renewals ($370), petitions to immigrate family members ($355), appeals of citizenship denials ($605), and green card applications ($1,010, which also covers employment authorization and advance parole). To see a list of the final fees, go to www.uscis.gov.

The Asian Pacific American Legal Center is encouraging immigrants who are qualified for citizenship now to file their applications as soon as possible rather than waiting until July 30. APALC will continue to offer free citizenship application workshops throughout the year for Los Angeles County residents who need assistance with the application. Applicants are required to make an appointment by calling APALC’s Immigration and Citizenship Project at (213)977-7500, ext. 217 or ext. 247.

CHECK YOUR BEEF: Some Albertsons and Save-A-Lot beef might be contaminated

If you have some Moran's ground beef in 1- to 5-pound varieties in your fridge, be sure to check the label. Some may be contaminated with E. coli and are being recalled.

News reports say that the affected products had sell-by dates from April 20 through May 7.

The UPC numbers of the recalled products are: 34779 60501, 34779 60000, 34779 96000, 34779 91000, 34779 60010, 34779 96194, 34779 21117.

Also recalled was Albertsons 90/10 Sirloin fresh hamburger patties.

HE-HE-HE: PINOY HUMOR

(Someone forwarded this to me. If you happened to receive humorous Pinoy e-mails, send them over to: ybchavez@gmail.com, and I'll print the funniest ones.)

Nag-aaral ako sa La Salle.

Ang dami kong kaklaseng Intsik. Apelyidong Uy, Lim,Tan, Co, Go, Chua,Chi, Sy, Wy, at kung anu-ano pa.

Pero sa kanilanglahat kay Gilbert Goako naging malapit. Mayaman si Gilbert kaya mangyari pa, madalas siya ang taya sa tuwing gigimik ang barkada.

Isang araw na-ospital ang kanyang ama. Sinamahan ko siya sa pagdalaw. Nasa ICU na noon ang kanyang ama dahil sa stroke. Naron din ang ilan sa kanyang malalapit na kamag-anak.Nag-usap sila. Intsik ang kanilang usapan.... hindi komaintindihan.

Pagkatapos ng ilang minutong usap-usap, nagkayayaan nang umuwi. Maiwan daw muna ako at pakibantayan ang kanyang ama habang inihahatid nya ang kanyang mga kamag-anak palabas ng ospital.

Lumipat ako sa gawing kaliwa ng kama ng kanyang ama para ilapag ang mga iniwan nilang mga gamit na kakailanganin ng magbabantay sa ospital.

Nang akmang ilalapag ko na ay biglang nangisay angmatanda. Hinahabol nya ang kanyang hininga... Kinuyom nya angkanyang palad at paulit-ulit siyang nagsalita ng wikang intsik na hindi ko maintindihan.

"Di ta guae yong khee"..... "Di ta guae yong khee"..."Di ta guae yongkhee".. paulit-ulit nya itong binigkas bago siya malagutan ng hininga.

Pagbalik ni Gilbert ay patay na ang kanyang ama. Ikinagulat nya ang pangyayari ngunit marahil ay tanggap na rin nya napapanaw na ang kanyang ama. Walang tinig na namutawi sa kanyang bibig. Ngunit iyon na yata ang pinakamasidhing pagluha na nasaksihan ko.

Nagpa-alam muna ako, dahil siguradong magdadatingan uli ang kanyang mga kamag-anak. Sumakay ako ng taksi pauwi. Habang nasa taksi, tinawagan ko ang iba pa naming kabarkada. Una kong tinawagan si Noel Chua.

Dahil marunong si Noel mag-intsik, tinanong ko muna kung ano ang ibig sabihin ng "Di ta guae yongkhee".

"Huwag mong apakan ang oxygen. "

Nyikes !

INGAT PO TAYO:CANCER KILLING ASIANS

Cancer rates in Asian nations are expected to raise over the next decade.

The culprit: adopting bad Western habits that greatly increase the risk of the disease.

Smoking, drinking and eating unhealthy foods will lead to Asian cancer rates to go up 60 percent by 2020.

Unlike in wealthy countries where good medical care can be accessed, prevention or treatment available to people from many Asian countries is a problem.

Increases in cases of stomach, lung and colon cancers in Asian countries are feared if people don't improve their current lifestyles.

According to the World Health Organization, almost 40 percent of cancers worldwide can be prevented by exercise, eating healthy foods and not using tobacco.

SWEET!

Libre Alert, mga kababayan: It's Free Doughnut Day at Krispy Kreme today.

FALLEN FIL-AM SOLDIERTO BE LAID TO REST

Corporal Mark Ryan Climaco Caguioa, who died serving in the Iraq war, will be laid to rest Saturday afternoon at the San Francisco National Cemetery.

News reports have indicated that the 21-year-old soldier died after receiving a wrong blood transfusion in Iraq in the course of receiving medical treatment due to the injuries he suffered from an improvised explosive device in Baghdad on May 4.

"Mark found his calling, he loved to be a soldier... I wasn't angry with Bush. It was the choice of my son [to serve]. [However,] I did not approve of the Iraq war," Mark's mother, Maria Lourdes Climaco, said at his memorial service.

President George W. Bush met with Mark's family at the Bethesda Naval Medical Center the day after Mark died.

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Photo: Mother Maria Lourdes Climaco & sister Connie Climaco hold Cpl. Mark Ryan Caguiao's photos after his memorial service, Bethesda Naval Medical Center, May 26, 2007.

PHOTO/INFORMATION from:
ERIC LACHICA, Executive Director American Coalition for Filipino Veterans, Inc.