The Vásquez story demonstrates what hard work and determination can do for a family woven with the modern history of immigration between the U.S. and México. From the bracero program started in 1942 that granted temporary legal status to 150,000 Mexican workers – in exchange for their labor during the World War II era – to President Ronald Regan’s 1986-amnesty bill that legalized 1.7 million people and most recently, the New Americans Initiative (NAI). These programs have guided families, such as the Vásquez, through the process of becoming American citizens.

“Never in my days of picking cotton and melons far away from my family did I imagine that one day I would be granted American citizenship,” said Agustín, now 77.

This year, he coached his wife through the U.S. citizenship classes in preparation of the dreaded mandatory U.S. constitution exam. Agapita, 78, said neither age nor language should keep eligible people from trying to pass the citizenship interview and exam.

“It’s a beautiful thing to have more security in this country after so many years of work and to have something [no one] can take away from us,” Agapita said.

In the last three years, their son Caín and daughters, Olivia and Norma, have also earned citizenship. Agustín said people should not fear the citizenship exam.

“It’s not about fear anymore. It’s about having an interest in providing a better future for our families and practicing our right to vote,” Agustín said.

The couple was eligible to take the exam in Spanish, since they were both over the age of 65 and have lived the required 15 years as permanent residents in the U.S.

Caín opted for citizenship classes while his sisters studied the exam on their own. All three siblings agree that building confidence is a major factor when deciding to take the exam.

“Having our parents be so motivated about citizenship helped all of us, but I recommend the entire process because it opens new doors,” Caín said. “We pay more attention to politics since we can now vote and feel more confident about encouraging others to also take the risk.”

While the process can be daunting, there are community resources that help families navigate through the process. The Erie Neighborhood House, a nonprofit that serves low-income, primarily Latino families offers many educational resources, including a citizenship program. The program includes class preparation for the U.S. citizenship exam, with a curriculum that concentrates on basic conversational English, both verbal and written, a practice test, mock interviews, and U.S. government and history.

Erie House is a partner organization working with the New American initiative (NAI). This nonprofit partnership between the State of Illinois and the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, offers free assistance to families such as the Vázquez. NAI offers citizenship workshops and helps finance the citizenship process.

Cristina García, citizenship coordinator at Erie House, was impressed by the couple’s determination to become citizens.

“They came with no excuses,” García said. “I was taken back by their story, they remind us of the reason why we do this type of work and why our efforts matter.”

Most recently, immigrant advocates in Chicago called on U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) officials not to raise fees in the face of a budget shortfall. García warns that another fee increase would significantly reduce the number of citizenship applicants. She estimates that NAI workshops saw a 50 percent decrease in attendance following the fee increase from $400 to $675 in 2007. Another change in the current fee would affect the state’s estimated 500,000 legal permanent residents eligible for citizenship.

“NAI member organizations will continue to pressure USCIS representatives to find federal or state resources to fund their operations instead of relying primarily on fee revenues which directly affects our services,” García said.