How do you pass the citizenship exam? La Casa de Amistad helps immigrants to prepare

What did Ben Franklin do? Why is he noteworthy? Those are good questions.

There was a Ben Franklin store in River Park. However, this isn’t a five and dime question. It is a Founding Fathers question. Sure, everyone knows the kite thing. There is a lot more.

You should look him up.

Ben is one of the many people, dates and definitions that are being studied at La Casa de Amistad by people preparing to take the test for U.S. citizenship. La Casa has morning and evening tutoring for 10 weeks. There are three sessions per year.

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The morning session has 10 students, and 25 in the evening. This is the 17th year for classes at La Casa. Dara Marquez, director of community engagement, said there is a waiting list. “That shows there is a high need for this in the area.”

Tutors and a lead instructor guide the class through 100 questions, practicing writing and speaking English.

A natural born citizen could have problems with a few of the questions. For example, some may not know too much about the Federalist Papers or their knowledge of Alexander Hamilton is limited to the musical.

A student asks about the dates associated with the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. “This isn’t easy. We didn’t grow up with this,” Valentina Jaurer of Elkhart said. She has lived in the states for 30 years and is determined.

She uses flash cards to study. Her family and coworkers test her knowledge.

The application requirements have all been met by each student — over the age of 18; the ability to speak, write and read English; and be of good character. Each person has been a lawful resident for at least five years. An applicant can be in the military, married to a U.S. citizen or the child of a citizen.

There is an application, fingerprinting, an interview and $725 fee. (There are waivers available). Once filed, it takes 10 months (more or less) to become a citizen.

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The test requires applicants to answer six out of 10 questions correctly from the list of 100. The applicant must write, read and speak English. The examiner asks questions from the application form.

It is a long journey to get to this point for some.

Historical note: Before 1906, naturalization was handled by the courts. Judges asked questions to applicants. Or they just swore them in. There are no records of the proceedings because each judge handled it differently.

After 1906, the Bureau of Naturalization began to oversee the process. Civics and history questions were added.

Back to La Casa. Dr. Rob Riley, a retired physician, is the morning instructor. He was a tutor for several sessions and the head guy for a couple more sessions.

Dr. Rob runs through the topics — the colonies, July 4, the Revolutionary War, etc. He adds videos on some topics — immigration, taxation without representation and the Boston Tea Party.

“These people are all sharp. They are willing to do all the work. They memorized the dates. Some topics are confusing. Our goal is to help them understand the history and the concepts," he said. “It is the big picture” that is important.

He said this class is all Latino. Past sessions included Africans and Middle Easterners. “The students embrace the subjects and take the work seriously. All have been model students,” Dr. Rob said.

Linda Sirugo of LaPorte is a tutor and enjoys the interaction. “I’m in awe of the class. They want to be citizens. How much do we know about Mexico and historical dates? These are complex ideas to understand about the U.S.”

Sarah Ryckman of South Bend is a morning tutor. She spent time recently on the Declaration of Independence and breaking up with England. She enjoys the conversations and the students' insights on America. “The country is divided right now. I saw this as a way to help and to welcome.”

Mauro Martinez of Elkhart has lived in the U.S. for 25 years. He got the push by family members to apply for citizenship. “The main thing is I want to participate, especially in the election. I want to be part of this.”

Valentina is active with the Greater Elkhart Chamber of Commerce working with small businesses. “Why do this now? This is the country of my children. I want to be a citizen and I want to understand the country. It has already given me a lot. I’m taking the classes to learn, not to memorize facts.”

Contact Kathy at kfborlik@yahoo.com.

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Citizenship test tutoring offered by La Casa de Amistad in South Bend