Explain the function of the Ellis Island immigration station.

il Ir *( x T S BIG CC BIGGER G GO S MS MS GGGW V V V G GGC X -> C a emissary.edgenuity.com/https://media.edgenuity.com/contentengine/Common/passages/2049/2049-06-01/2049_06-01-02-00_TheAmericanCitizen_OC.html?date=My8xNC8yMDlyIDI6MDA6NTEgQU. The Path to Citizenship Because Elisa was born in the United States, she automatically became a US citizen. However her parents had to live in the United States for 5 years before they could apply for citizenship. Since they were busy working, raising their daughter, and settling into life in a new community, Elisa's parents did not have time for the application process. Now that Elisa is older, her parents are going to apply for citizenship. Elisa recently learned about United States citizenship in her middle school civics class and is going to help her parents with the application and exam. On the exam, Elisa's parents will have to answer questions about American history, civic life, and the government. See if you can answer some of the questions that Elisa's parents will have to answer on their citizenship exam. (Check your answers at the end of the article.) Tools United States Citizenship Exam: Example Questions Question 1: How many states are there in the United States of America? Question 2: What country did we fight in the Revolutionary War? Question 3: What does the judicial branch do? Question 4: What is one thing Benjamin Franklin is famous for? Question 5: What is one responsibility that is only for United States citizens? The Importance of Citizenship There are many benefits that Elisa and her parents have as full citizens of the United States. As citizens, Elisa's parents are eligible for Social Security benefits when they retire. They are also eligible to vote in elections and to run for public office. After becoming citizens, Elisa's parents can sponsor family members from Cuba who want to come and live in the United States. The United States government limits the number of people who are allowed to immigrate to the United States, and it can be very hard for 9 7 #9:31:Ilrlx ex eTlBs|Ir|c|c|nc|BIt|Ec|EclBR|Ec|Es|OslMs|Ms|c|nslww|v|v~|v|c|c|c|05| + eac' i emissaty.edgenuity.com/httpszltrnedia.edgenuity.com/contenteng ine/Commonfpassages/2049/2049-06-0'l [2049,06'01v02-001TheAmerIcanCItIzen10C. html?d ate=My8xNCByMDllel6M DAGNTEgQU... The Importance of Citizenship There are many benefits that Elisa and her parents have as full citizens of the United States. As citizens, Elisa's parents are eligible for Social Security benefits when they retire. They are also eligible to vote in elections and to run for public office. After becoming citizens, Elisa's parents can sponsor family members from Cuba who want to come and live in the United States. The United States government limits the number of people who are allowed to immigrate to the United States, and it can be very hard for immigrants to get a visa and come into the country to live. However, it can be much easier for someone to get a visa if a family member is already a United States citizen. Most importantly, as United States citizens, Elisa's parents are fully protected by the United States Constitution and all the rights that it affords. Sometimes, immigrants who are living in the United States legally can have their status changed by a change in immigration laws. However. United States citizens cannot be deported and are never denied entry into the country. Immigration Throughout History The United States of America was built by immigrants. Starting in the 17th century, waves of immigrants from what are now Germany, Holland, France, and England traveled across the Atlantic Ocean to make a new home in the United States. This continued through the early 19th century. During the 19th century, immigration to the United States greatly increased. Immigrants from Ireland, Poland, and Italy settled primarily in major East Coast cities. People coming from Nonivay, Sweden, and Denmark settled in the Midwest. On the West Coast, Chinese immigrants came to work on the construction of the railroads around the middle of the 19th century. At the end of the 19th century, Ellis Island, an island in New York Harbor, was opened as one of the country's first immigration stations. Between 1892 and 1954, approximately 12 million immigrants entered the United States through Ellis Island. At this immigration station, immigrants were given a physical examination by doctors and had their paperwork checked before being allowed to enter the United States. Immigration Today The graph below shows how many immigrants came to the United States over the past decade and from what country they originated. As you can see, legal immigration has maintained a relatively steady rate over the past decade. However, in 2006 there was a wave of immigration from almost every region of origin except Europe. V_|E'X (i'i v a 9:31