The Cost of Citizenship

Statue of Liberty

This past weekend, my family and I visited two iconic American destinations, the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. On the 2nd floor of the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration is a room, which highlights the steps necessary to achieve citizenship in the United States. At one of the interactive displays was a sample citizenship test.

The United States citizenship test is designed to evaluate a person’s English proficiency as well as their knowledge of American government, history, and even culture. The updated, 2025, version of the citizenship test has a possible 128 questions. Previously, there were only 100. For each applicant, a U.S. Citizenship Immigration Officer will ask up to 20 multiple-choice questions during the interview process.  

Some sample questions include:

~ What is the supreme law of the land?

~ What does the Constitution do?

~ What are the two parts of the U.S. Congress?

~ How many U.S. senators are there?

~ What did the Declaration of Independence do?

As my family gathered for our mock citizenship test, I reflected on the many people I’ve known who have taken a similar test, not as part of a museum display, but as part of their efforts to build a better life for themselves in America. 

For nearly twenty years I was fortunate enough to have my dream job, teaching English to immigrants. During that time, I witnessed the dedication of my students as they worked tirelessly to master the language and adapt to the culture, in hopes of achieving their American citizenship. 

That has been the goal for countless immigrants coming to the United States. 

When Ellis Island first opened in 1892, it quickly became the busiest immigration station in the United States. Immigrants flooded in from nearly every country. In the 62 years that followed, more than 12 million immigrants came through the doors of Ellis Island. It’s been 72 years since Ellis Island stopped being a processing station, yet immigrants continue to make their way to America and each year, hundreds of thousands of immigrants take the oath of citizenship. 

The U.S. Oath of Citizenship is a formal ceremony in which newly minted citizens declare their loyalty to America, to defending the Constitution, and to fulfilling their duties as citizens. Over the years, I’ve attended citizenship oath ceremonies for my students, who were taking that final step towards becoming an American citizen. The reasons for taking that step were as varied as the students themselves. Many suffered incredible hardships in their native countries.

Some escaped political oppression. 

Others fled religious persecution. 

Regardless of the reasons, all came for freedom and the opportunity to achieve their American dream.

Each time I’ve witnessed one of my students being sworn in as a citizen of the United States, I’ve reflected over their journey as they joyfully waved their pocket-sized American flag. This culminating moment, following years of heartache and hard work, is always an emotional time, bringing both tears of joy and laughter from family and friends, as they join in the celebration of citizenship.  

My own ancestors left their home of Austria in the late 1890s to start a new life in America. As the ship, Normannia, entered the New York harbor, they would’ve seen the recently constructed Statue of Liberty in the distance, a reminder of the freedoms and liberties that would be granted to them in this new land. I reflected on their lives as I wandered the hallowed halls of Ellis Island, considering the countless untold stories that started within those walls.  

From my ancestors who came through the doors of Ellis Island to my students who have come from every corner of the world, each of them is a reminder to me that the gift of citizenship is worth the effort, no matter how great the cost and it is something I cherish each day. 

~ Here's a link if you want to test your knowledge for a mock U.S. citizenship test.

https://americanhistory.si.edu/citizenship/test/0/ask

Ellis Island