3) New citizenship test putting up walls for immigrants?

In order to gain American citizenship, immigrants must pass the citizenship test. This is an oral test that includes trivial questions, such as historical facts of America. The United States government believes that this test should be shunned, and is therefore conducting a new pilot test beginning this winter. The new test will also be an oral test. Immigrants will only need to answer six out of the ten questions to receive a passing grade. The content, however, will not include historical facts about America, but questions about American values, such as the principles of American democracy and freedom. The new test will be taken in ten cities in America, one of them being Boston. There will also be an increase in the application fees for immigrants taking the test, which immigrant advocacy groups are noticing. Many, including members of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition feel as if the administration is “putting up [another] wall to citizenship for immigrants…” Ali Noorani, a member of this group, believes that the administration is purposely raising the fees and making the test more difficult. However, the questions and answers to the test will be publicly available, and if those taking the test fail, they will be able to retake the regular test. The United States government believes that the new test will allow those who become citizens to have more of an attachment to America.


In 1917, it became a law for immigrants to take a literacy test to become citizens of America. Also, the Immigration Act increased entry tax to eight dollars. While now those who pass the test are allowed to be American citizens, in 1917, many were prohibited from becoming citizens. These included diseased persons, people mentally or physically defective, those who had committed previous crimes, polygamists, and anarchists. President Grover Cleveland vetoed the attempt to introduce such tests in 1891. In 1913, William Taft did the same, as did Woodrow Wilson in 1917. These men did not believe that citizenship should be restricted. One who believed that a literacy test was needed was Henry Cabot Lodge. Lodge believed that there was a demand for more limiting legislation. Despite the fact that many, even the current Presidents, argued against making it necessary for immigrants to take literacy tests, Congress passed the Immigration Act.