New Philly tour highlights historical sites for naturalization exam
A budding partnership of local tourism and immigration advocates is set to unveil its "New Americans Tour," an exploration of the nation's founding, with an emphasis on the interests of new and would-be citizens.
A budding partnership of local tourism and immigration advocates is set to unveil its "New Americans Tour," an exploration of the nation's founding, with an emphasis on the interests of new and would-be citizens.
The self-guided tour, which debuts online and via social media on Friday, encompasses 13 sites between Arch and Walnut Streets, east of Broad Street. It spotlights the role of immigrants in American life and aims to prepare aspiring citizens for the civics portion of the naturalization exam.
"While studying for the citizenship test I realized that more than half of the 100 questions in the study guide related to events that happened in Philadelphia. That's partly how the idea . . . came about," said Adriana Arvizo, a spokeswoman for Visit Philadelphia, the tourism information site for Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties.
Born in Mexico, Arvizo is a legal permanent resident of the United States and scheduled to take the citizenship test soon.
Visit Philadelphia created the tour with Mayor Nutter's Office of Immigrant and Multicultural Affairs (MOIMA) and input from the Welcoming Center for New Pennsylvanians, a nonprofit immigrant services organization.
"We are trying to be a welcoming city," said MOIMA director Jennifer Rodriguez. "This is an opportunity to show it. It speaks to the immigrants who are looking to call the United States home."
Philadelphia, said Rodriguez, is part of Cities for Citizenship, a national initiative launched in September with the goal of increasing citizenship among the nation's 8.8 million eligible green card holders. The coalition includes the immigrant-rich cities of New York, Chicago and Los Angeles.
In Philadelphia, home of the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall and other "iconic symbols," said Rodriguez, the New Americans Tour seemed a natural.
"Hitting the history books isn't the only way to prepare," reads a tour brochure. "Dozens of answers to the citizenship test questions can be found right here . . . where so many key historic events took place."
Coinciding with the number of American colonies, the sites include: Betsy Ross House, where a reenactor stitches the story of the first stars and stripes; the National Museum of American Jewish History, which traces Jewish immigration; the African-American Museum in Philadelphia; and the President's House, an outdoor exhibit on America's first executive mansion - along with its slave quarters - on Independence Mall.
"Citizenship is a journey," said Amanda Bergson-Shilcock, the Welcoming Center's director of intake. "This tour can help affirm the positive American values that draw people to the country and cause them to want to naturalize."
In addition to the language-proficiency component of the citizenship exam, the test asks 10 questions about U.S. government and history, chosen at random from 100 questions in a study guide. Applicants must answer at least six of the 10 correctly to pass.
New Americans Tour brochures are available at Independence Visitor's Center and the tour sites. The brochure can be downloaded in English at visitphilly.com/newamericans, and in Spanish, French and Mandarin at phila.gov/ima.
Beginning in December, the mobile application company Scavify will connect to the tour via an 18-task interactive scavenger hunt. After downloading the free app, participants can use mobile devices to upload photos and check in at the 13 sites by scanning QR codes - all the while boning up for the citizenship exam.
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@MichaelMatza1