Citizenship & Civic Participation

Following is a list of links to information about naturalization and immigrant civic participation, including participation in the U.S. military.

2010

Naturalization

June 29, 2010 - National Immigration Forum

Fact sheet describing the naturalization process.

The New Constituents… How Latinos Will Shape Congressional Apportionment After the 2010 Census

March 15, 2010 - America's Voice

This paper examines the role Latinos will play in determining Congressional apportionment following the 2010 Census. After the 2010 Census, new Members of Congress in states like Georgia and South Carolina as well as Arizona and Texas will owe their positions, in part, to the expanding Latino population. States that are losing Congressional representation would have fared worse had Latinos not moved there in record numbers.

2009

Essential to the Fight: Immigrants in the Military Eight Years after 9/11

November 01, 2009 - Margaret D. Stock for the Immigration Policy Center

As of June 30, 2009, there were 114,601 foreign-born individuals serving in the armed forces, representing 7.91 percent of the 1.4 million military personnel on active duty. Without the contributions of immigrants, the military could not meet its recruiting goals and could not fill its need for foreign-language translators, interpreters, and cultural experts.

Made in Amiercia: Myths & Facts about Birthright Citizenship

September 16, 2009 - James Ho, Margaret Stock, Eric Ward, and Elizabeth Wydra, Immigration Policy Center

This collection of four essays examines the historical and legal genesis of birthright citizenship and the unsuccessful legal arguments put forward to abolish it; the motives of groups pushing for abolishment of birthright citizenship; and the practical consquences of abolishing the 14th amendment.

Trends in Naturalization Rates: 2008 Update

June 23, 2009 - Office of Immigration Statistics, Department of Homeland Security

This Fact Sheet provides updated information on the cumulative naturalization rates and the timing of naturalization through 2008 of immigrants who obtained legal permanent resident status from 1973 through 1999.

The Asian American Vote: A Report on the Multi-Lingual Exit Poll from the 2008 Presidential Election

January 20, 2009 - Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund

An multilingual exit poll of 16,665 Asian American voters in 39 cities in 11 states. Asian American voters favored President-Elect Barack Obama by a 3-1 margin and supported other Democratic candidates. A clear majority (58%) of Asian Americans were registered Democrats.

2008

CIS Ombudsman Study And Recommendations On Naturalization Oath Ceremonies

December 16, 2008 - Office of the Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman

Study and recommendations on how USCIS can expeditiously perform meaningful oath ceremonies; inform new citizens on procedures to update their status with other governmental agencies; produce secure and durable naturalization certificates for distribution at the ceremony; and provide information on progress being made on naturalization adjudications.

The New American Electorate: The Growing Political Power of Immigrants and Their Children

October 22, 2008 - Rob Paral and Associates for the Immigration Policy Center

This report examines New American voters and eligible voters, incuding immigrants who have become U.S. citizens and the U.S.-born children of recent immigrants (post-1965 Children of Immigrants). These immigrants and their children have a powerful and highly personal connection to the modern immigrant experience. They accounted for 8.6% of voters in 2006. The report uses available data from 2006 and earlier, and notes that naturalization rates and voter registrations in this group have been high since 2006.

High Stakes, More Meaning: An Overview of the Process of Redesigning the U.S. Citizenship Test

September 29, 2008 - Migration Policy Institute

This backgrounder details the process undertaken to redesign the citizenship test (which had not substantively changed since 1986) and offers some policy recommendations. The report also examines whether the federal government met its goals with the redesign.

Out of Focus: The Hidden Crisis of the Latest Backlogs in Naturalization Processing

August 06, 2008 - National Immigration Forum

Highlights processing backlogs in applications for naturalization that developed in 2007, puts these backlogs in the context of a cycle of backlogs and promises to reduce them, and provides examples of the problems processing backlogs cause for immigrants waiting to become citizens.

Voting and Registration in the Election of November 2006

June 30, 2008 - U.S. Census Bureau

An analysis of the electorate in the election of 2006, using data from the Census' Current Population Survey of November 2006, including a breakdown by race and Hispanic origin.

Spotlight on Naturalization Trends in Advance of the 2008 Elections

January 31, 2008 - Migration Policy Institute

This Spotlight examines the foreign born age 18 and older who became US citizens in 2006, the latest year for which data are available. It also highlights some of the trends surrounding naturalization since the 1970s.

2007

Hispanics Rising: An overview of the emerging politics of America’s Hispanic Population

September 20, 2007 - NDN

A slide show on the nation's changing demographics and how the anti-immigrant stance of the Republican party has changed American politics.

Immigration and the 2006 Elections

January 30, 2007 - National Immigration Forum

Analysis of how the issue of immigration played out in the Congressional election of 2006.

2006

Fact Sheet: Hispanics and the 2006 Election

October 02, 2006 - Pew Hispanic Center

This fact sheet contains a number of tables about Hispanic eligible and registered voters, including the number of eligible Hispanic voters in each Congressional district.

Out of Many, One: Integrating Immigrants in New Jersey

May 15, 2006 - Nicholas Montalto, Diversity Dynamics for the New Jersey Immmigration Policy Network and the National Immigration Forum

This report examines the challenge of immigrant integration, and contains a total of 53 recommendations. It also sets forth a plan of action, based on models from other states, for a structured partnership between state government and private sector organizations to promote the integration of immigrants.

Estimates of the Legal Permanent Resident Population and Population Eligible to Naturalize in 2004

February 28, 2006 - Department of Homeland Security Office of Immigration Statistics

This paper presents estimates of the legal permanent resident (LPR) population living in the United States and of the population eligible to naturalize in 2004 by year of admission for permanent residence, country of origin, and state of residence.

2005

Hispanics and the 2004 Election: Population, Electorate and Voters

June 27, 2005 - Pew Hispanic Center

Hispanics accounted for half of the population growth in the United States between the elections of 2000 and 2004 but only one-tenth of the increase in the total votes cast.

The Latino, Asian, and Immigrant Vote: 2004

January 27, 2005 - National Immigration Forum

A summary of information obtained from exit polls on the voting behavior of Asian, Latino, and immigrant voters.

2004

Backlogs Block the Road to Citizenship and Voting

October 07, 2004 - New York Immigration Coalition

This report discusses the growing numbers of would-be citizens being deprived of the right to vote because U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) fails to process naturalization applications in a timely fashion.

2003

U.S. Soldiers from Around the World: Immigrants Fight for an Adopted Homeland

March 31, 2003 - Immigration Policy Center

A fact sheet about the role and participation of immigrants in the U.S. Armed Forces.

Hispanics in the Military

March 27, 2003 - Pew Hispanic Center

This fact sheet presents several means to assess the level of Hispanic representation in the U.S. military.