Citizenship program prepares immigrants for life in the U.S.
When Farzad Sedaghatkish immigrated to the United States from Iran, he did so via the Diversity Visa Program with hopes of one day becoming a U.S. citizen.
“I wanted to be a U.S. citizen to be able to participate in this democracy by voting in elections, and have a U.S. passport to travel freely in the world for the first time in my life,” he says.
In October 2011, at 46 years old, Sedaghatkish arrived in America, the country he had loved from afar and was finally able to call home.
The process of becoming a citizen was overwhelming though, made only more difficult by the fact he spoke little to no English and didn’t have anyone to share his experiences with.
Exactly five years after arriving on U.S. soil, Sedaghatkish enrolled himself in the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Adult Education Center’s Citizenship Program — a decision he is glad he made. “I have learned much from this program,” he says, “especially from my teacher, Mrs. Patricia. She really helped me, and I am very thankful to her and this program.”
In addition to the citizenship curriculum that ultimately prepared Sedaghatkish to complete and submit his citizenship application and pass the official citizenship review, the program also provided a sense of community.
“I met so many nice people from all over the world in this class,” he says, “from South American countries, from Ukraine, Russia, Egypt and Iran. Most of these people were above 50 years old, like me.”
Citizenship classes give students support for completing what can be a very complex process, says citizenship teacher Patricia Hernandez.
“Also, it is helpful to have support, and a place to ask questions when the need arises,” she says.
Hernandez says classes serve another important function: They can help correct false information and prevent missteps that could delay the citizenship process. For instance, many students don’t realize interviews must be done in English. Also, well-meaning friends and family sometimes complete the citizenship application for the students, which can introduce mistakes — mistakes that Hernandez says are only discovered when students review their application in class.
Sedaghatkish took his oath to officially become a U.S. citizen on August 22, 2017.
“After becoming a U.S. citizen, I can participate in this democracy. I came here because I love this country, its system and its freedom,” he says. “Also, I am so happy and proud to become a citizen of the United States and be the same nationality as my only daughter, who was born in this great country.”
“I came here because I love this country, its system and its freedom.”
Farzad Sedaghatkish, Former citizenship studen
For more information, visit www.santamonica4adulted.org.
Written by Anna Quinlan
| Regions | Classes |
|---|---|
| South Coast California | English as a Second Language |
