Voting for the First Time

On November 6, Kadidja and her mother, Rose, refugees from the Central African Republic by way of Cameroon, cast their vote for the first time as citizens of the United States.  Author and journalist, Brooker Hauser, tells their story and that of other immigrant first time voters in her piece for TODAY.
 
Read the article here …
 
[An important part of the mission of the IRC in New York is to educate refugees and other humanitarian entrants on the importance of naturalization, and provide them with assistance on their pathway towards citizenship. The Immigration program at the IRC in New York assists individuals such as Kadidja and Rose to navigate through the complex and often lengthy process of US naturalization, keeping them apprised of their case status from application to completion. Free Citizenship classes are also incorporated in the program to prepare individuals for the naturalization exam. This program is made possible thanks to the IRC’s Pathways to Citizenship initiative funded by the Grove Foundation.]