MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MD - Are you or someone you know interested in becoming a U.S. citizen? Do you need professional advice on how to fill out your naturalization paperwork? Or do you simply want to speak face-to-face with someone who knows about the citizenship process?

In a collaborative effort to increase access to naturalization resources for the South Asian community, South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT) has joined forces with 5 local Asian American organizations to coordinate a Citizenship Day. During this event, community members will be able to attend a panel with speakers from Baltimore U.S. Citizenship Immigration Services (USCIS), the Governor's Commission on Asian Pacific Island Affairs, and the Asian Pacific American Legal Resource Center (APALRC). Community members will also have the opportunity to meet with attorneys who can answer questions and guide individuals through the citizenship process. Interpretation will be provided for South Asian community members who have limited English proficiency.

South Asians make up the second largest Asian population in Montgomery County, accounting for over one-fourth of the total Asian population. Within the South Asian community, there are specific barriers - cultural and systematic - that often hinder people from applying for citizenship. These barriers include the lack of available naturalization information in South Asian languages, inadequate communication between government and South Asian immigrant communities, the high cost of applications, and large backlog of citizenship applications.

"It is important that South Asians have access to information about the naturalization process, especially as it has changed in the recent past," says Deepa Iyer, Executive Director of South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT).  "Citizenship Day is a great opportunity for South Asian immigrants to learn about the process and speak directly with lawyers about their applications."

The event will take place on Saturday, November 14 between 11AM and 5PM at the Executive Office Building Cafeteria in Rockville. This effort is part of a wider initiative called the Maryland Asian Americans Connected Project, which aims to generate community awareness about naturalization resources. The MAACP coalition includes the Asian Pacific American Legal Resource Center (APALRC), Boat People SOS (BPSOS), Chinese Culture and Community Service Center (CCACC), Korean Community Service Center of Greater Washington (KCSC), Maryland Vietnamese Mutual Association (MVMA).  It has received wide support from the Governor's Office of Community Initiatives, AmeriCorps VISTA, the New Americans' Initiative, the Department of Human Resources and is also co-sponsored by the Montgomery County Executive's Asian American Advisory Group.