DeKALB - Benjamin and Sofia Cintura on Saturday said they are ready to become U.S. citizens, and on Saturday they started the process.
The 10-year DeKalb residents were one of about 20 families who visited Conexion Comunindad, 637 N. 11th St., to file citizenship applications during a New Americans Initiative workshop.
Erika Iniguez, the New American Initiative coordinator for Family Focus in Aurora, said her organization along with the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights and the Illinois Department of Human Services have been offering monthly workshops throughout the area since February 2005. Workshops generally are held in cities like Plano and Aurora. It has been the first time such a workshop is held in DeKalb. Representatives from KidCare, a state program that provides health care insurance for children, also were on hand.
People carried manila folders and talked to representatives to take applications and have their photos taken. A lawyer was present to give advice.
The New Americans Initiative was created in late 2004 to provide funding for services to help immigrants become citizens.
Sofia Cintura, 56, said in Spanish she felt relieved to get the application done. Her family has been in Illinois for about 24 years since they migrated from the central Mexican state of Michoacan.
She said they have been gathering their documents -including a Social Security card, green card and driver's license - to make sure the process would be easier.
Benjamin Cintura, 57, said they needed to provide information about how many times they left the country in the past five years, as opposed the entire 24 years he and his family have been in this country.
“It's a lot easier now,” he said in Spanish.
Benjamin works at Rochelle Foods as a bagger and Sofia works as a packer at the Suter Company in Sycamore.
They said they came to DeKalb from Chicago when their now adult children were teenagers.
“It's nicer here,” Sofia said.
“It's quieter here,” Benjamin said. “There were a lot of gangs in Chicago.”
After filling out required paperwork, the Cinturas said they want to take a class and get their citizenship as soon as possible so they can vote.
Organizers of Saturday's event urged voters to contact their legislators to work on immigration reform and to oppose HR 4437, sponsored by Rep. James Sensenbrenner, R-Wis.
Sylvia Ibarra, a DCP/SAFE prevention specialist, helped organize the event with Zandra Garcia as part of the DCP/SAFE's Latino Action Group.
She said it was important to provide a place for community members to learn about citizenship, especially because the area's Latino population has grown so much.
Iniguez said a march held in Chicago on March 10 to protest HR 4437 has made people more aware of the need to become citizens.
“It was eye-opening, people who were hesitant are now coming in and going through the process if they are eligible,” she said. “They know that once one becomes a citizen they can vote and make a change.”
