SUCCESS STORIES

By Fernando Romero

“I couldn’t believe it!” Liliana Sanchez exclaimed after exiting her naturalization interview on December 13, 2023. She had just been approved to move forward and attend the oath ceremony to become a US citizen the following month.

“I was so nervous during the interview.”

Liliana, an immigrant from Oaxaca, Mexico came to the US in the 1990s and obtained legal permanent residency (LPR) in 2014.

In August 2023, Liliana attended a citizenship prep class at a public library in Echo Park. “I was just there just to ask a question, I wasn’t even thinking of applying for citizenship at all,” she said.

Liliana mentioned the Immigration and Refugee Resettlement (IRR) staff member leading the class and the other students motivated her to consider becoming a citizen. “And next thing you know, they were filling out my application, the fee waiver for me and I committed to attend the classes.” Liliana says that for many years she had been reluctant to apply for citizenship due to her limited English language skills.

The tendency for Mexican immigrants with LPR status has been to delay naturalization process for years/decades primarily due to language barrier. According to a Pew Research Center report from 2015, many Mexican LPR holders delay decades before applying for citizenship. “The most frequent reasons centered on inadequate English skills, lack of time or initiative, and the cost of the U.S. citizenship application.” https://www.pewresearch.org/hispanic/2017/06/29/mexican-lawful-immigrants-among-least- likely-to-become-u-s-citizens/

“The thing is you have to study and prepare but it’s do-able,” she said.

Liliana is thankful to IRR for the complete and holistic service provided, including assessment, legal services and citizenship class instruction.

“After this process, I feel more confident in myself. I had limited schooling growing up, but through this process I learned if I can pass the US citizenship interview I can do anything.”