(Boston) Union citizenship drive downtown draws 200 immigrants (become citizens and register to vote

[Omaha Steve]

Source: Boston Globe

Organizers seek to speed process

By Brian R. Ballou, Globe Staff | July 22, 2007

As Jorge Santurce-Vaide placed his application for citizenship and identification cards on top of a table yesterday, his permanent resident card caught the eye of the volunteer checking to make sure applications were complete. The man in the card's photograph had a thick beard and a full head of jet-black hair, with taut skin and chubby cheeks.


Volunteer Patricia Sobalvarro (left) helped Leau Wong of Newton during the citizenship drive yesterday. (Wendy Maeda/Globe Staff)

"What happened here?" asked the volunteer, chuckling as he shifted his eyes from the card to Santurce-Vaide, a slim 55-year-old with receding gray hair and fine wrinkle lines. Santurce-Vaide, 55, who emigrated from Cuba in 1980, replied, "That's me, but more than 20 years ago."

Santurce-Vaide was one of about 200 immigrants from mostly Spanish-speaking countries who attended a citizenship drive yesterday in downtown Boston, at the Service Employees International Union Local 615 headquarters. The drive is part of the "Ya Es Hora: Ciudadania" national campaign seeking to help 1 million legal permanent residents become citizens and register to vote.

Organizers are working to help the immigrants get their citizenship applications in the mail before July 30, when fees rise from $400 to $675. More than a half-million legal residents across the country have applied since January.


Read more: http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/07/22/union_citizenship_drive_downtown_draws_200_immigrants/

[mikeargo]

1. I'm proud of my union nt

[sunnygunnydem]

8. This is a great start but what about

those "legal permanent residents" across this country. It seems like Boston is an odd choice to start a citizenship drive geared towards Hispanics. Why not Phoenix or Los Angeles or Albequerque, places that have large influxes of Hispanic immigrants. And why not start the same drive for the 12 million who are not here legally so they can eventually gain proper status...good idea in principle, but too many unanswered questions.

[-..__...]

10. 2010 census is not far off.

People have been moving out of MA.

If the trend continues at the current rate, the MA deligation will definitely lose one seat (very possibly two), in the House .

Politicians here have started a campaign to get immigrants to cooperate with
census takers when it takes place in 2010. I'm guessing that a citizenship drive would aid in that effort.

[acmavm]

2. Now THIS is a good thing. Helping those who came into the country

legally gain their citizenship. I wonder why they didn't apply before, but that doesn't matter. If they are legally here and they need help, then this group needs to be commended. There should be more events like this one.

I wonder why someone who was eligible for citizenship and was here for 27 years never applied before?

[treestar]

3. Would you be excluding those who benefitted from the 1986 amnesty?

Or those who were in the U.S. illegally for years before they met and married a U.S. citizen?

It is not as black and white as that.

One who is a legal permanent resident is never required to apply for citizenship, now matter how many years it has been.

[acmavm]

4. Man, some people just can't resist. I'm only going to respond to what I

read in the OP.

I don't feel like playing this bullshit game today.

edit: I understand legal PERMANENT resident. Don't talk down to me. I thought it was wonderful that they applied for citizenship.

[efhmc]

5. I have German friends that have been here since the early 60's. They

have American born children and gchildren. They once told me that as long as they have parents alive and living in Germany that they would not become citizens. There is still one mom left. She is her 90's. Perhaps this gentleman lived in hopes that he could go back to his homeland and was waiting for Castro's death. Who knows? BTW, they could still now go back to Germany and have complete health care. The man works for a German based company, but I think they could still have health care through their citizenship even if this were not the case. Could be the same in Cuba. Good story, though.

[Knightly_Knews]

6. Wait so Castro is the President of Germany now?

Holy fuck when did that happen?
:)

[TankLV]

7. A drive focused ONLY on hispanics - but it's not racist or bigoted. Riiiiiigt.

What about the NON hispanic LEGAL permanent residents - they don't count, aparently...

[murielm99]

9. What do you care that they are Hispanic?

My daughter used to date a boy whose parents were legal permanent residents. They were from Columbia and Chile. The mother came here during the Allende coup. She was one of the lucky ones to come here or die in Chile. She had family members who were never seen again.

They did not apply for citizenship until the Clinton years, because they wanted to vote for him.

Why not have a drive for Hispanics? What the hell is wrong with some of you people?