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Group formed to help legal immigrants to become U.S. citizens Tuesday, Jan 16, 2007 By Doug Thompson Arkansas News Bureau SPRINGDALE - The Arkansas Citizenship Coalition was formed Monday to help permanent, legal residents of the United States become citizens. Gaining citizenship can take years, according to group spokeswoman Margarita Solorzano. The new coalition will not only encourage legal residents to become citizens, but help them through the process, founding members said. The group was formed by the Hispanic Women's Organization of Arkansas, Catholic Immigration Services, the Ozark Literacy Council, the Jones Center for Families in Springdale, the League of United Latin American Citizens Council 761 and other adult education groups. The coalition received a $69,604 grant from the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation on Monday. An estimated 30,000 foreign-born people who are permanent, legal residents of Arkansas are not citizens, the group said, including foreign-born wives of U.S. citizens, for example. Organizers said the coalition would help those residents find English-language classes, help them prepare for the test required for citizenship and host clinics to assist in filling out applications. Solorzano said it became apparent that Arkansas residents seeking citizenship needed a simple, reliable contact point for information on which programs were available to help them. The coalition's goal is to provide assistance of its own and to steer those who want to become citizens toward existing programs that will help, she said. ------ Persons interested in the organization's activities can call 479-751-9494. |
