US celebrating Constitution Week

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is expecting to welcome more than 34,000 citizens in the ten days to 23rd September as part of the country’s Constitution Week celebrations.

“Two hundred and thirty-two years ago, our great country adopted the United States Constitution, and as we celebrate Constitution Week, it is important to underscore the significance of citizens’ responsibilities for protecting and defending the Constitution,” said Acting USCIS Director Ken Cuccinelli. “These nearly 34,300 new US citizens followed the law on their path to naturalisation and now call the US home. I can think of no better way to celebrate Constitution Week than to welcome thousands of new US citizens who have assimilated, made a commitment to our great country, and have vowed to support the Constitution,” he added.

Yesterday, the US observed Constitution Day and Citizenship Day, as part of Constitution Week (September 17th-23rd this year). The commemoration honours both the signing of the Constitution on 17th September 1787, and an observance that began in 1940 as ‘I Am an American Day.’ Citizenship Day began in 1952, based on a law signed by President Harry Truman, and in 1955, President Dwight Eisenhower proclaimed the first Constitution Week.

USCIS welcomes approximately 650,000 to 750,000 citizens each year during naturalization ceremonies held across the United States and around the world. In the 2018 fiscal year, USCIS naturalized more than 756,000 people – a five-year high in new oaths of citizenship.

To help applicants prepare to become US citizens, USCIS provides study materials and resources available through the Citizenship Resource Centre. In addition, the only official USCIS Civics Test application, USCIS: Civics Test Study Tools, is a mobile app that challenges users’ civic knowledge and is currently available for download in the Google Play and iTunes stores.

Article published 18th September 2019