Student Union
- By Aline Barros
Asian-Americans Largest Group of Naturalized Immigrants
Applications for citizenship have steadily increased in recent decades, and Asian-Americans have the highest naturalization rates in the United States, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Thirty-five percent -- or 261,374 of the 730,259 new Americans in 2015 -- were Asian-American. Legal permanent residents, or green card holders, from India, Philippines and China were among the top nationals applying for U.S. naturalization.
The countdown to become a naturalized citizen begins when an immigrant obtains a green card. The green card program gives them “permanent resident” status, allowing them to live and work in the U.S. After five years, a permanent resident can apply for naturalization. If they became legal residents by marrying a citizen, the wait is three years.
Naturalization, or citizenship, gives new Americans the right to vote, a U.S. passport, and the right to hold elected office in most states and counties.
But only a small fraction apply. In 2013, 8 million people were eligible to become citizens, DHS said. One reason is cost, said Marita Etcubanez, director of strategic initiatives at AAJC. Citizenship applicants must pay $725.
Soo Yee moved to the U.S. from South Korea in 2000 on a student visa. She has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Maryland and a master’s degree in health education from Baylor University in Texas.
[For more stories about student visas, see here.]
After she became a naturalized U.S. citizen, she sponsored her parents to emigrate to the U.S. Now they live with her in Virginia.
She is the president of Korean American Outreach Group and is a certified health education specialist, consultant and educator."Without their support, it's difficult for me to work," said Yee, a certified health education specialist, consultant and educator.
She is also the founder of the Korean American Outreach Group, which helps other Asian immigrants with green cards to apply for naturalization. Without her parents, Yee said at a weekend meeting, "I wouldn't be here on a Saturday morning."
Organizations, such as the Asian Americans Advancing Justice Center (AAJC), where Yee also volunteers, frequently hold citizenship clinics to help green card holders navigate the process.
The AAJC clinics are part of a nationwide initiative called the New Americans campaign, funded by private foundations that help community groups help as many immigrants as possible to naturalize.
Relatives and government jobs
Twenty volunteers at a recent clinic in suburban Maryland helped immigrants check in, fill out a 20-page form, and verify necessary documents.
"I understand how difficult it is. Even for myself … every time I try to fill in any government application, it's overwhelming," Yee said. She received the same assistance when she was applying for U.S. citizenship.
"[I tell them] every angle of their lives matter [when] they're citizens because it's the only way they can voice their needs," Yee said. "They gain the ownership of where they live. And the more Asians get citizenship [status], that means more votes. That means more power to address their voice."
Most Asian applicants like herself, Yee said, are most interested in sponsoring relatives or getting federal government jobs.
Yee and other advocates said the Asian community sees federal employment as steady income, good benefits and stability for the family.
Surge expected
Etcubanez projects a surge in naturalization applications in the coming months.
A lot has to do with fear, she said, about President Donald Trump's executive orders to ban travelers from six nations and to stop illegal immigration. A set of guidelines issued in February by DHS Secretary John Kelly expanded the priority list for immigrants who face immediate removal, summarized a plan to hire thousands of enforcement agents, and assigned local authorities to act as immigration officers to apply immigration laws.
Green card holders are not generally subject to arrest and deportation, but Etcubanez says, "Folks are concerned."
Citizenship seems like a safe harbor.
"Once you become a U.S. citizen you don't have to worry about deportation," Etcubanez said. "You're not in danger. You don't have to worry about jeopardizing your immigration status in any way, right. You're set."
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Trump administration opens antisemitism inquiries at 5 colleges, including Columbia and Berkeley
The Trump administration is opening new investigations into allegations of antisemitism at five U.S. universities including Columbia and the University of California, Berkeley, the Education Department announced Monday.
It's part of President Donald Trump's promise to take a tougher stance against campus antisemitism and deal out harsher penalties than the Biden administration, which settled a flurry of cases with universities in its final weeks. It comes the same day the Justice Department announced a new task force to root out antisemitism on college campuses.
In an order signed last week, Trump called for aggressive action to fight anti-Jewish bias on campuses, including the deportation of foreign students who have participated in pro-Palestinian protests.
Along with Columbia and Berkeley, the department is now investigating the University of Minnesota, Northwestern University and Portland State University. The cases were opened using the department's power to launch its own civil rights reviews, unlike the majority of investigations, which stem from complaints.
Messages seeking comment were left with all five universities.
A statement from the Education Department criticized colleges for tolerating antisemitism after Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel and a wave of pro-Palestinian protests that followed. It also criticized the Biden administration for negotiating "toothless" resolutions that failed to hold schools accountable.
"Today, the Department is putting universities, colleges, and K-12 schools on notice: this administration will not tolerate continued institutional indifference to the wellbeing of Jewish students on American campuses," said Craig Trainor, the agency's acting assistant secretary for civil rights.
The department didn't provide details about the inquiries or how it decided which schools are being targeted. Presidents of Columbia and Northwestern were among those called to testify on Capitol Hill last year as Republicans sought accountability for allegations of antisemitism. The hearings contributed to the resignation of multiple university presidents, including Columbia's Minouche Shafik.
An October report from House Republicans accused Columbia of failing to punish pro-Palestinian students who took over a campus building, and it called Northwestern's negotiations with student protesters a "stunning capitulation."
House Republicans applauded the new investigations. Representative Tim Walberg, chair of the Education and Workforce Committee, said he was "glad that we finally have an administration who is taking action to protect Jewish students."
Trump's order also calls for a full review of antisemitism complaints filed with the Education Department since Oct. 7, 2023, including pending and resolved cases from the Biden administration. It encourages the Justice Department to take action to enforce civil rights laws.
Last week's order drew backlash from civil rights groups who said it violated First Amendment rights that protect political speech.
The new task force announced Monday includes the Justice and Education departments along with Health and Human Services.
"The Department takes seriously our responsibility to eradicate this hatred wherever it is found," said Leo Terrell, assistant attorney general for civil rights. "The Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism is the first step in giving life to President Trump's renewed commitment to ending anti-Semitism in our schools."
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STEM, business top subjects for international students
The Times of India breaks down the most popular subjects for international students to study in the U.S.
STEM and business lead the pack. Read the full story here. (January 2025)
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Safety and visa difficulties among misconceptions about US colleges
U.S. News & World report addresses some of the misconceptions about U.S. colleges and universities, including the difficulty of getting a visa.
Read the full story here. (January 2025)
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Work opportunities help draw international students to US schools
US News & World Report details the three top factors in foreign students' decision to study in the U.S. They include research opportunities and the reputation of U.S. degrees. Read the full story here. (December 2024)
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British student talks about her culture shock in Ohio
A British student who did a year abroad at Bowling Green State University in Ohio talks about adjusting to life in America in a TikTok video, Newsweek magazine reports.
Among the biggest surprises? Portion sizes, jaywalking laws and dorm room beds.
Read the full story here. (December 2024)
