Experiences of new citizens in American civic life

When the team at the Center for Civic Design learned that there are about 11 million naturalized American citizens who are eligible but not voting, of course, we wondered what obstacles they face in taking part in civic life.

So we spent a good chunk of 2019 listening to their stories: How they came to the U.S., what they were looking for, how they made lives for themselves and their families. We asked them what “community” meant to them and where they fit into it. We hoped to learn about needs around language access (we did), so we could help local election officials who are required to provide voting information in languages other than English.

Most local election offices in the U.S. work hard to make sure that their voters with low English proficiency have the same information in language that is available in English. In our interviews, we also heard loud and clear through the stories of new Americans that acculturation is as important as translations, including levels of civic literacy that natural-born citizens often don’t think of. It’s challenging for most citizens to be well-informed voters.

For new Americans, there is a wide gap between what you need to know to pass the civics test in your immigration interview and what you need to know to be confident voting. Here are our key insights, told through quotes from participants.

(Most participants gave us permission to use their real names. You can read their stories in our research report.)

Relationship status: it’s complicated.

Many of the participants we talked to spoke about the concept of giving something up to participate in civic life. Sometimes this meant giving up a passport or citizenship in their home country, but other times it meant making the choice to build friendships outside their cultural network.

“You have to choose to embrace a different community. Immigrants who truly embrace being American get rid of some of these old beliefs.” (Kit)
A formerly Canadian citizen said he felt like becoming an American was like “joining the other side” because he had grown up thinking the U.S. was a bully. “I was concerned that they would be skeptical or disappointed or something. My family is Jewish and if I had announced I was going to become Christian that would be very stressing. I saw this as a parallel.” (Steve)
A participant from China said that after he learned English, he could make friends who weren’t Chinese and pursue an education. He said it would have been easy to never learn English and become an Uber driver, but he didn’t want that. (Chunmiao).
Some participants described having to think carefully about what they would give up if they became Americans. “I made a conscious decision that I wanted more order and civility in my life. I had to ask myself the question if Ukraine was going to become a better place to live in my lifetime.” (Kit)

You have to believe in the idea of the “American dream” to participate in civic life.

The concept of the “American dream” appeared in many of our conversations with new citizens. Some believed in it, some didn’t trust it, and some said you had to buy into the myth when you become a citizen.

At least one participant had friends in their home country who said they were sorry the participant became American after the 2016 election. A few participants said they felt regret and confusion after naturalizing. (Sachini)
“As a child growing up in the Philippines, I saw democracy at work and had the idea that in the U.S. it must be so much better. I expected the U.S. to be tenfold that. That hasn’t been the case.” (Joanne)
“If you subscribe to these [American] ideas (working hard, remaking yourself), there is this romantic idea you subscribe to when you apply for American citizenship that you don’t get when you apply for French or Italian citizenship.“ (Ben)

While new citizens felt safer and more secure, most didn’t trust government.

Participants we interviewed brought fears and distrust in government from their home countries but also had similar experiences here. Many had negative interactions with government officials.

Participants from countries in which upper classes controlled government doubted that their participation in elections would ever make a difference. (Fernanda)
Participants who had access to financial resources and education said they don’t trust the government because of what they had to watch others go through, like being interrogated when crossing the border. (Rosa)
An immigration officer asked a new citizen from Mexico why he was flying first class. He was a successful restaurant owner who could afford it, but felt he was judged because of his accent and skin color. (Eric)

Becoming a citizen let some use their political voices.

Freedom to express a political opinion was very special for many of the participants we interviewed. Some became citizens for this reason alone.

“I used to avoid protesting and politics. I was afraid that if was arrested it could revoke my Green Card. I wanted to be sure I have the rights of a citizen. I wanted to stand in solidarity with others that didn’t have the privileges.” (Marja)
Some participants believed it’s their responsibility to give a voice to those who aren’t able to vote. (Rosalba)
“As an immigrant, I understand the opportunities you’re given and how hard it is to get through it. I was fortunate because I have the resources. I feel I have a responsibility to explain to people how things work and what it means to be an immigrant. I want to help others be more engaged. As an immigrant, you see “different sides.” (Rosa)

Learning to navigate new rights and responsibilities can be overwhelming.

There is a wide gap between what immigrants need to learn to pass the civics test at their naturalization interview and what they need to be informed voters. Participants had to figure out a new set of logistics and systems after they took the oath. Participants told us that it took time before they felt ready to participate in elections.

We asked most of our participants what they would include in a “Guide to Being an American.” Many of them designed checklists that would tell them what they needed to know in their first 90 days of becoming a citizen.
“Culture shock is a real thing. I didn’t know how to ask for help because I was so afraid [that] they wouldn’t understand my questions.” (Sachini)
“After you become a citizen you have a lot of logistics to figure out and voting or participating in politics might not be the first thing on someone’s mind.” (Joanne)

People who are struggling to get established don’t have time or resources to learn how the system works or what the issues are.

Many participants in our study were not well off or well-connected when they arrived in the U.S. For them, the need to gain financial footing was a higher priority than participating in community, politics, and civic life.

One participant thought their degree from Bangladesh, which was from a good school, would transfer here. She was frustrated that she had to go back to school and spend more money just to get a degree in the U.S.
A participant who was blind struggled for more than a year to find an ESL class that would accommodate people with his disability. He told us that he became frustrated and depressed, which made it harder to find resources and connect with community. (Mike)
People who came from places where there was a lot of corruption felt the need to protect their families first. (Sachini)

Positive experiences with government help people feel motivated. Negative experiences do not.

Participants who had good experiences when obtaining their citizenship were motivated to integrate and acculturate. Those who had bad experiences struggled with feeling invited and included.

During the citizenship test, the immigration officer let one participant use gestures to explain her responses and was patient with her poor English. She passed the test and said that that experience was so encouraging that it motivated her to learn English. (Lucie)
One participant who understood English (but not the American accent) asked the immigration officer administering her test to slow down. The officer became angry and yelled at her to go home. It took her two more tries to complete the exam. (Rosalba)

They expected elections and government functions to be similar to where they came from.

Many new citizens were surprised at how government processes work in the U.S. Sometimes their expectations didn’t align with reality.

“Political activities in Nigeria are do-or-die affairs. If you are not sure of yourself you dare not get involved in politics or else you can easily lose your life with the mafia.” (Ibiyinka)
“Back home in Sri Lanka, talking about politics was taboo, especially in good company.” (Sachini)
In their home country of Cameroon, one participant said that “people go to vote in groups and it’s a fun thing. Here it’s more formal and it looks like a serious exercise that is overwhelming and stressful. People also aren’t used to using the machines because they used only paper and simple marks where they came from.” (Adamou)
One participant said she became frustrated at having to wait in line for elections and getting a driver’s license. She said she wasn’t used to it. (Lucie)

Enough English for a naturalization interview isn’t enough to take an active part in community and civic life.

Participants said they wanted to listen and watch the news, make friends, and meet their neighbors. But they needed more than basic English. Many of our participants said they needed to focus on work and financial stability before they could make becoming fluent in English a priority.

Learning English takes time, and some participants said it requires them to understand the American accent. Often this isn’t possible in ESL classes where everyone is a foreigner and there’s no way to practice with an American. (Mona)
Some participants told us that they started in the U.S. at jobs that did not require them to have fluent, American English. With basic English, they could function.
Government-provided interpreters often don’t speak dialects that immigrants use. A participant from Cameroon who spoke French, for example, described doing double work to make sure an interpreter who speaks European French didn’t make errors. There are differences between Parisian and Cameroonian French.
For one participant, learning English was the single most important factor in being “civically engaged.” He said “I couldn’t express myself because I felt so isolated.” (Chunmiao) Others echoed this feeling.

Participating in civic life and community means different things in different countries.

Concepts like “civic engagement” are not meaningful to immigrants who come from countries where civic and political life are very different from the U.S. When some participants came to the US, they brought assumptions with them about whether they were allowed or invited to be involved in political and civic life.

In some countries, participants told us, the idea of taking care of community is different from how Americans behave and is largely limited to financial donations where they came from. (Sachini)
One participant from Nigeria noted that the emphasis on charity really impressed him when he came here. Many others agreed. (Ibiyinka)

Help people feel seen and respected

U.S. elections are unique in the world. Even if a new citizen came from a democratic country, those electoral systems are different from ours. For example, we vote on a lot more local offices. Things that might be okay (or normal) in other places might not be legal in this country. We all can help new citizens know what the rules are here and how things might be different.