Today at the James Lee Community Center, immigrants who have passed their citizenship exam will become United States citizens during a USCIS Naturalization Ceremony. One of these new United States citizens is Phuong, an LCNV learner originally from Vietnam. In her essay below, Phuong writes about her time in the United States, her discovery of LCNV’s English classes, and her dreams for the future. All of us at LCNV are so proud of Phuong for her dedication to learning English, and we congratulate her on achieving citizenship!
Learning English is a vital part of becoming a US Citizen. If you would like to help your neighbors learn English, consider volunteering with LCNV. You can find more information at lcnv.org/volunteer.
“My name is Phuong. I arrived in the United States from Vietnam five years ago. I knew that I had a lot of work to do to improve my English so that I could find a job. I have been taking English classes since June 2015 at LCNV. Before I came here I did not understand English when people were talking with me. I was scared to go out on the street. Now I feel happier than [before]. I think that I will have to learn English for a long time. I want to achieve something, and I want to see myself be better at English in the future for my life. I’d like to thank all the teachers at LCNV.”