Immigration – Center for Law, Engagement, and Politics

Celebrating Citizenship and Community: A Launch to the Next Chapter at The Woodlands Center

After months of anticipation and careful planning, we opened the doors to our Citizenship Celebration at The Woodlands Center–an evening that marked not just a milestone, but the launch of an exciting new chapter for our existing citizenship program.

The celebration brought together naturalized citizens, aspiring citizens, LEAP friends and alumni, all united by a shared support for those on their journey toward citizenship and the program.

What began in 2008 as a local initiative in Walker County has grown far beyond its original scope. Thanks to National Partnership for New Americans, the program now reaches into Montgomery County, creating new connections and expanding the community in meaningful ways.

One of the many goals for this celebration was to ensure every guest left with a meaningful takeaway. This is always easier when everyone shares a common purpose. For us, this growth brought new connections in the Montgomery area, including volunteers from Caney Creek High School…

…who joined SHSU students to create a welcoming, vibrant atmosphere for the guests as they arrive.

As guests arrived, they settled in with plates of delicious food–empanadas, beef satay, ceviche, and an array of other cultural dishes–setting the stage for an evening of culture and connections. The room itself was beautifully decorated with a patriotic theme symbolizing the civic pride and sense of belonging that come with citizenship.

The ceremony began with Professor Yawn, who welcomed attendees and explained how LEAP’s citizenship program is expanding beyond Walker County.

The audience included familiar faces like Gregoria McGuire and Roxana Woychesin, former course participants, alongside eager newcomers ready to begin their journey.

LEAP alumni–Brian Aldaco, Bianca Saldierna, Ademide Adedokun, and Megan Chapa–also in attendance, perfectly timed to coincide with LEAP’s upcoming 20th anniversary celebration and the launch of new initiatives.

I then had the chance to offer my own words of welcome — thanking everyone for their incredible support and emphasizing that this event was truly a celebration for all: those who had been naturalized, those beginning the journey, and those supporting this civic milestone.

Then came the moment I’d been looking forward to — introducing Christina Sato, who so graciously agreed to share her journey and beautiful words with us. Christina Sato is an accomplished actress, singer, and University of Texas at Austin graduate who interned for former U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison and has built an impressive career bridging entertainment and public service.

Christina spoke beautifully about three important themes, with one particularly powerful message about the importance of an invitation…

…recalling that she first met Professor Yawn in an elevator, three years ago. That chance meeting, followed by some networking, led to the invitation to speak at this event.

She tied this concept perfectly to the crowd and their purpose, making everyone feel the significance of being present and being welcomed into community.

Her story was one of unexpected turns and beautiful detours. Sato shared how she began her career with aspirations in public service, only to find life taking her down different paths-through entertainment, through various roles and opportunities that she never initially imagined. Rather than viewing these changes as setbacks, she embraced them as part of life’s natural rhythm. Her journey wasn’t linear, and she owned that truth with grace and authenticity.

For the naturalized citizens in the room– many of whom had taken long, winding roads to reach that point–her story struck a personal note. For those still on their journey toward citizenship, her message offered hope, encouragement, and a reminder that every experience brings us closer to where we’re meant to be.

The evening then shifted to something wonderfully fun–Lotería! For those unfamiliar with this traditional game, it’s similar to bingo but with a uniquely cultural twist.

We played a couple of rounds, giving away prizes to lucky winners throughout the evening, with the help of volunteers Andrea Torres, Olivia Discon, and Laura Juarez Ordonez.

It was a beautiful reminder that while we gather for serious purposes – citizenship, community, growth – we also come together to celebrate, to play, and to enjoy each other’s company.

As the celebration concluded, we announced the next phase of our program: our Spring 2026 Citizenship Course. This course will be held on April 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd, and 30th at The Woodlands Center, to support immigrants as they work toward their citizenship, providing the resources, guidance, and encouragement they need to succeed.

A heartfelt thank-you to everyone who made this evening possible: the volunteers and LEAP alumni whose ongoing support sustains the program, Christina Sato for generously sharing her time, inspiring story, and wisdom, and most importantly, the naturalized citizens and immigrants whose journeys continue to inspire this program and remind us of why it initially started.

Here’s to the journey ahead–and to all the events yet to come!

For more information about LEAP’s citizenship program or our upcoming Spring course, email Professor Mike Yawn at mikeyawn@shsu.edu.

Becoming a US Citizen: A How-To-Guide

Cinthia Villarreal

For the last 17 years, the Huntsville Public Library and the LEAP Center have come together to host a free citizenship preparatory course where Professor Yawn, Yajaira Gutierrez (Intern at the Huntsville Public Library and supervised by Mary Kokot), and LEAP students volunteer their time to help local immigrants prepare for their naturalization process.

For the month of April, we held weekly classes with more than two dozen participants, who immigrated from a variety of countries including places as far flung as Canada, El Salvador, Japan, and Mexico.

In the first class of the course, Professor Yawn offered an overview of the requirements for eligibility and the process of applying for citizenship, such as the oral interview, where applicants are quizzed about their American history knowledge as well as their ability to speak English.

The course is designed to provide an overview of the different components of naturalization, from paperwork, to oral interviews, to English tests for speaking and writing, and, of course, the “Civics” portion of the test. This component consists of 100 questions that the immigrants must know.

Each week, we alternate between short lectures by Professor Yawn to breakout sessions at each table, with the volunteers doing a mix of tutoring, reinforcing, and translating–or, in Chrissy and Olivia’s cases, nodding when others translate.

LEAP also leans heavily on its mission of civic engagement and community collaboration to bring in other groups with similar goals. Thus, we work closely with Michelle Spencer and Salvador Favela from the Boys and Girls Club for recruitment and volunteers; the Daughters of the American Revolution provide “swag bags” with patriotic study materials…

…and Robert Cates, a local immigration attorney, provides his expertise on immigration law.

For the last week of the course, we held our very own Thanksgiving, where the participants were encouraged to bring desserts while Stephanie provided her very famous, and delicious, hot dogs. In many ways, this last meal together captures the essence of the course. One component of the Civics Exam is US Holidays, and the first one we discuss in the course is Thanksgiving and what that represents in the United States. Accordingly, “our” Thanksgiving is our true way of saying thanks to each other while reinforcing some of the class material.

Gregoria McGuire, who works for the Sam Houston Memorial Museum, even brought flowers as an expression of gratitude.

Esperanza, a participant from last year’s course, was also there. She applied for her citizenship shortly after finishing our course and within a few months, her identification card came in the mail. She attended the meeting to encourage other participants and to show them that if they put their mind to it, they can do it too.

Esperanza was accompanied by her son and daughter-in-law, and her granddaughter, Ali.

This course has been a transformative learning experience, not only for the future applicants but for the volunteers as well. Being an immigrant myself, this volunteerism has hit very close to home. Seeing the resilience of the participants that work for a better future has inspired me and reminded me of the hardships that my family had to go through for me to be where I am today.

This course has been a great testament to what a privilege it is to be a United States Citizen. This label, which many take for granted, not only comes with responsibilities and duties, but grants tranquility, confidence, and freedom.

Immigration & the US: Myths, Wonder & Realities

by Saara Maknojia, January 11, 2022

To kick off the new semester, Heather Barodi, Jocelyn Vazquez, and I traveled to The Woodlands representing LEAP and Sam Houston State University for the first event of the year hosted by the World Affairs Council (WAC). This event showcased the journey of an immigrant into America featuring Roya Hakakian, an Iranian immigrant and her experience into the “land of the free!”

Upon our arrival to the venue, the LEAP students were greeted by the always-friendly, always-professional staff of the World Affairs Council! In fact, we were given a copy of Hakakian’s book, A Beginner’s Guide to America.

Considering that Ms. Hakakian a Guggenheim Fellow and Lesley Stahl referred to Hakakian as “the most eloquent interpreter of ‘the immigrant'” writing today, this was a real treat.

After introductions from the WAC staff…

…Ronan O’Malley moderated the event, asking questions about Hakakian’s experiences on her journey to–and in–the United States.

At the age of 19, Roya came into the U.S. with the hope of becoming successful in this large and unknown land. Ms. Hakakian explained her perceptions of the differences between the US and Iran and why it was such a cultural adjustments.

These observations spoke to us, particularly since of the three of us, one is a first-generation immigrant, and two are second-generation immigrants. We could all identify with at least some of what she had to say.

Toward the end of the session, the Mr. O’Malley took questions from the audience, and Ms. Hakakian responded to two LEAP questions! The insight into immigration and its challenges opened up many doors to knowledge and allowed us to see this process in a new light!

Roya Hakakian met with the LEAP students after the event and kindly signed our copies of her book A Beginner’s Guide to America. The LEAP students were thrilled to hear from her and learn from her experiences!

LULAC and LEAP

Although it was the first day of Spring Break, LEAP ambassadors were happy to attend 2016 League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) Community Amigo Award Scholarship Banquet. Upon arrival, Brian and I were welcomed by John Escobedo, the President of Huntsville LULAC Council.

As we proceeded to take our seats, we found Former Mayor Mac Woodward, Mrs. Woodward, County Judge Pierce, and his wife Mrs. Pierce, and we were invited to join their table.

The program began with the performance of ballet folklorico, the local dance group directed by Anita Escobedo.

While we enjoyed dinner, Mr. Escobedo introduced the special guests of the night. Among those guests were Mayor Brauninger, Former Mayor Woodward, Council member Montgomery, County Judge Pierce, and Attorney Robert Cates, who was also the keynote speaker for the night.

Mr. Cates is an immigration attorney in Conroe who recently graduated from Baylor Law School. During his presentation he focused on educating the audience in the recent immigration reform by President Obama.

The presentation was followed by the awards presentation. We were excited to accept the Educator of the Year Award, which was given to the LEAP Center, largely for its annual “Citizenship Preparatory Course”–which, incidentally, begins tonight!

We were also happy to hear that Former Mayor Woodward received the Citizen of the Year Award(his second this year!)…

…and The Walker County Federal Credit Union received Business of the Year Award. In all it was a great event that allowed us to participate with another great organization!

Citizenship Class

For the eighth consecutive year, the LEAP Center (and its forerunner, the Junior Fellows) partnered with the Huntsville Public Library to lead a spring Citizenship class to immigrants. The class is five weeks long, one night a week, and it covers the major material on the Naturalization Exam.

This year, we had more than 30 people sign up, but scheduling difficulties reduced the number of immigrants who actually attended. With a core of about 10-15 immigrants per night, the LEAP Center students and volunteers (thank you Terry Stivers, Roberta Plant, and Carol Hayes) worked with these immigrants to help them learn American history and government. We had a fun kick-off, with the Mayor and council members stopping by on the first night (on their way to the parade):

To become a citizen, an immigrant must meet certain legal requirements. They have to be in the country for a specific length of time (which varies by whether you are married to a US citizen), have generally followed the law, and not have any egregious moral failings.

The test itself includes an oral section, where immigrants read statements; a written section, where immigrants write down sentences read to them; an oral interview, in which immigrants are asked about their past and behaviors (“are you often drunk?“, “have you ever been a prostitute?”); and they must answer correctly at least six out of ten questions pertaining to American government and history.

These questions range from naming one of the two longest rivers in the US to knowing three cabinet posts to knowing the name of the national anthem.

We covered these major topics over the course of the first four weeks. Karla Rosales, who took a leadership role in the program by virtue of her internship with the Huntsville Public Library, led off the proceedings with a bit of instructions…

Although most of the presentations were led by Professor Yawn, the students worked with small groups of immigrants throughout the program.

It was also nice to receive community support. On week four, for example, the Daughters of the American Revolution attended and provided American-themed gifts to the immigrants–flags, pocket constitutions, pencils, and other fun things.

This was a big hit, especially among some of the immigrants’ children:

On the final week of the immigration class, the immigrants and volunteers relive the first Thanksgiving, with all participants bringing dishes from their native country and joining in a celebratory feast. The food is great!

Another special feature of the final week is the presentation made by Audrey Biggar, a local immigration attorney. She graciously agrees to assist the immigrants and provide advice for navigating the process. (She is also President of the Walker County Bar Association, making her one of the more civic-minded of the local bar.) She also brings great Thai food to the dinner!

Finally, the immigrants receive a certificate of completion, a prelude, we hope, to citizenship.

And with one final group photo, the class is over.

Fortunately, it wasn’t long before the students and immigrants got back together. The Huntsville City Council invited the immigrants to a City Council meeting to be recognized for their efforts.

For the immigrants and the students, it was their first-ever City Council meeting and, again, a big hit among the kids.

Over the past eight years, the LEAP Center has worked with about 150 immigrants from more than 20 countries. Approximately 40 have obtained their citizenship.

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