AMERICANWAY

QUIZ SOURCE: U.S. CITIZEN AND IMMIGRATION SERVICES Some were fl eeing political unrest and a lack of opportu- nity, but many had been here for years and had jobs and owned businesses. Amivi and Koami Temedekou came from the West A frican nation of Togo several years ago to work in a pork-processing pla nt in Bea rdstow n, Illinois. The town prides itself on its diverse workforce, and many of its citizens also hail from Togo. The couple's pastor, Michael Smith, watched the ceremony and says of the Temedekous' character, "They are hardworking, sweet, kind and gentle people — as are all the A fricans who attend our church." Mandy Smith came to Quincy University in 2000 from Taiwan to pursue a Master of Business Adminis- tration. She had been employed by a large company in Japan, but after several years, she realized that if she wanted to advance in the business world, she needed to go back to school. "America's higher-education quality is the most outstanding in the world," she explains. But then the unexpected happened: She fell in love with an Illinois farmer. They married, had a child, and she began a new American life. What is she most looking forward to, though? Having her say in the American political process. "After the ceremony, I was the fi rst person who fi lled out the voter-registration form. I cannot wait to vote. At that moment, I realized that I am a citizen now," she says. Darren Iozia, who arrived in Florida from England in 1991, echoes that sentiment. Iozia's father was originally from Paterson, New Jersey, and he wanted his family to live "the American dream life." Today, Iozia runs a photog- raphy business, and he is thankful to have the application process behind him. "Now there's a certain confi dence and pride that I feel. I get to say, 'I'm an American. I can vote for the president, and I'm now one voice that counts toward the success of our country.' It's also a relief that I never have to worry about renewing my green card." Similar to Smith, Janusz Walentynowicz also came to the United States for education. Thirty-two years ago, he left Copenhagen to follow renowned American glass art- ist Joel Myers to the campus of Illinois State University in Normal. "I ended up in the cornfi elds here, not having any idea what Illinois was all about, and it was a bit of a shock," Walentynowicz recalls. After 10 years, he decided to forgo the life of an academic, set up his own studio and devote himself to his art. But one could say that Walentynowicz's path to citi- zenship began much earlier, when, in 1960, as a 4-year- old in Poland, he fl ed communism with his family. The authorities pressured his father to become a spy; he refused, and they made life intolerable for him. "When they make life hell, sometimes there are no more options," Walentynowicz says. They managed to escape in a leaky fi shing boat on the Baltic Sea with not much more than the clothes on their backs. " We were supposed to hit the island of Bornholm, which is closest to the coast of Poland," Walentynow- icz continues, "but the compass didn't work, so we hit Sweden. Before we could get recognized as having set foot on Swedish land, we had to take o because we wanted to seek refuge in Denmark." He has no recollection of the journey, but years later, in a thrift store, he ran across a photo of his family arriving in Denmark. His mother was holding him on her lap. She wore a white dress and matching high heels. I ask Smith, Iozia and Walentynowicz how they will celebrate their fi rst Thanksgiving as American citizens and how it might be di er- ent than past gatherings. "I will feel more of a sense of belonging," Smith says. "I am very thankful for a welcoming American immi- gration policy, so I can continue my new life here. Secondly, I am thankful for everyone who ever helped me. I feel lucky and blessed to be surrounded by so many kind people. Oh, and I want to buy some fancy silverware and Wedgwood china to celebrate!" Iozia thinks for a moment, then says, "It's the family prayer before dinner that I look forward to most, because my wife's grandma is so random in what she is thankful for, but her words are always so perfect. She was aware of the process I went through, and I am positive that her prayers, both past and fu- ture, gave me safe passage. I know one thing for sure: I will be holding my wife's hand!" Wa lent y now icz ha s celebrated ma ny Thanksgivings with friends, but he says it takes a couple of generations to truly make an adopted nation's traditions one's own. He explains that since he came from a coun- try with the same level of freedom as in the United States, there is less of a contrast liv- ing here than if he had arrived from an op- pressed nation. But, he says, living in the United States has expanded his possibilities of self-realization through his work. Still, he says, this coming Thanksgiving, "I'm sure I will feel a bit more connected. You probably can't avoid that, because until now, you've kind of been a g uest who has been given the keys so you can go in and out, but you haven't been part of the household." Most important, Walentynowicz is going to do something he has always wanted to do: vote. "I'm going to use all the power I've been saving up for 32 years. You just wait, big changes are coming," he says, laughing. Test your knowledge of U.S. history, civics and geogra- phy. Below are 10 sample questions from the 100 that applicants must be prepared to answer during their Natu- ralization Test administered by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. The full list can be found at www .uscis.gov/us-citizenship/ naturalization-test. Answers to these questions appear below the questions. 1. What are two rights in the Declaration of Independence? 2. We elect a U.S. Senator for how many years? 3. If both the president and the vice president can no longer serve, who becomes president ? 4. What is one responsibility that is only for United States citizens? 5. What are two rights of every- one living in the United States? 6. Why does the fl ag have 13 stripes? 7. Who wrote the Declaration of Independence? 8. Who was President during the Great Depression and World War II? 9. Name one of the two longest rivers in the United States. 10. How many amendments does the Constitution have? STEPHEN J. LYONS is a frequent contributor to American Way and the author of three books, including Landscape of the Heart and The 1,000-Year Flood. In 2015, Rowman & Littlefield will publish Going Driftless, his book of narrative nonfiction about the Upper Midwest. Answers: 1. Life; liberty; pursuit of happiness. 2. Six years. 3. The speaker of the house. 4. Serve on a jury; vote in a federal election. 5. Freedom of expression; freedom of speech; freedom of assembly; freedom to petition the government; freedom of worship; the right to bear arms. 6. Because there were 13 original colonies and the stripes represent the original colonies. 7. Thomas Je erson. 8. Franklin Roosevelt. 9. Missouri River or Mississippi River. 10. 27 Test your knowledge of U.S. Pop Quiz 8 8 N OV E M B E R 2 01 4 A A .CO M/A M E R I C A NWAY

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