A New Citizenship Test
1 Last week, a sample of the new US citizenship (公民身份) exam was released by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (US-CIS). It will be tried out in 10 cities early next year to replace the current test in 2008. Instead of asking how many stripes the US flag has, as the current test does, the new one asks why there are 13 stripes. Instead of having to name the branches of government, an applicant is asked to explain why there are three.
2 "The goal is to make it more meaningful," explains Emilio Gonzalez, director of the US-CIS. Immigrants who pass it are expected to have a better "understanding and respect" for US civic (公民的) values, Gonzalez says.
3 The US isn’t the only country dealing with citizenship tests that aim to get a "shared commitment" from immigrants for their adopted country’s "values". In recent years, in addition to the usual requirement of language/work skills and economic status, several European countries have adopted citizenship tests. Britain introduced a new citizenship test last November. In March, a new Dutch law took effect requiring all would-be immigrants to take a citizenship test. It involved watching a video showing nude (的) women bathing at beaches and gay (的) men kissing in public. The aim was to ensure that "newcomers will be comfortable with the country’s liberal social mores (风俗)".
4 Europe has been known for welcoming immigrants for decades. But, today, the fact is that some immigrants are kept apart from local citizens by culture and they become hostile to each other. Promoting integration has become a major concern for European countries, affer the rioting in Muslim ghettoes (少数民族聚居区) in France and the killing of Dutch public figures by religious extremists.
5 Officials believe that a person’s attachment to a country can be tested by his or her knowledge of the country. However, some critics say that the changes can do little to help people assimilate (同化) themselves. "Immigration is a culture war today. Is giving a new test the right way to lessen the accusations in that fight" says Ali Noorani, of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition (难民辩护联盟).
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