April 24, 2007

Help us congratulate IIRI staff member, Kinga Correa, on becoming a U.S. citizen!

Kinga is a caseworker for IIRI’s Feinstein Center for Citizenship and Immigration Services. She helps clients with immigration services including: citizenship, family reunification, residency, adjustment of status, work authorization, referrals, and education on legal rights and obligations. Recently Kinga’s professionalism and warmth inspired a client to donate $250 to IIIR in her name. Here is her story.

“U.S. Citizenship is the last stop on the beginning of a new journey.” – Kinga Correa

January 8, 2007 is a date Kinga will always remember. The day she, along with 501 other Rhode Islanders, became a U.S. citizen at a swearing in ceremony in Providence. She will also remember July 25, 1989 – the day she arrived in the U.S. from Poland; and February 28, 2002 - the day she received her U.S. green card.  These are very special dates for all naturalized citizens.

In 1989, Kinga was just 16 years old studying at one of the best high schools in Poland. Things were tough in Poland at that time – politically and economically. Her father and his brothers had come to the U.S. years earlier to find work and seek a better life. Kinga’s first visit to see her father in Rhode Island in 1989 was initially going to be just a short adventure. She was excited and remembers being impressed by the diversity in the U.S. “It was so colorful!” She didn’t know she wouldn’t be going back to Poland.

But shortly after her arrival in Providence, she found a job working in a factory. It was terribly hard work, but she was so happy to be making money and things were not going well back in Poland. And then she met her future husband, a U.S. citizen from Puerto Rico, at the factory she was working. They moved to Puerto Rico shortly after they were married. They lived there for nine years and had 4 children.  Kinga learned to speak Spanish quickly and fluently.

Kinga and her husband moved back to Rhode Island in 2000. During this process some immigration issues came up. Kinga didn’t realize that she had to “get her papers.” She thought being the wife of a citizen qualified her for the same rights of citizenship. So with a dictionary, patience, and family encouragement she applied for her U.S. green card.  

Now back in the U.S., Kinga needed to learn English. She remembers a very cold winter when she would walk with her 2 small twin babies to her English class. She was determined and dedicated.  Not only did she want to learn English so she could communicate on a daily basis and make friends in Rhode Island but she also wanted to apply for her citizenship when she was eligible. She studied hard and read lots of books, even learning how to use a computer on her own.  Her family, especially her step-mother, was very supportive and she began preparing for the GED. Her strong Polish education came in handy. She received above average scores in all areas of the test, even English.

Kinga’s green card finally arrived in 2002. This opened new doors for Kinga. She decided to get a job at a department store to help her master English. It was challenging as customers are not very forgiving but she did well and worked her way up to cosmetic counter manager. But retail wasn’t the life for her. She wanted a job where she could use more of her skills and experience.

In 2005, she landed an Americorp position with IIRI’s Refugee Resettlement & Assistance Program. This position led her to a position as a full-time caseworker for the Feinstein Center for Citizenship and Immigration where she uses Spanish, Polish, English, and her computer skills (not to mention her understanding of the immigrant experience). She also has a part-time job as a loan associate. Next on Kinga’s to do list is to get her driver’s license and visit her mother and sisters in Poland with her new American passport.

Kinga beams with pride as she talks about being a U.S. citizen. Becoming a citizen along with her husband and children in the country that she made her home was extremely important to her. “What is the point of living here if I can’t have rights of citizenship? I want to vote, work, participate in the community, and travel. I want to go to my country and say I am an American citizen!”

Kinga encourages her clients and immigrants in the community, “Don’t make excuses. Learn English so you can do things on your own. Get your citizenship so doors of opportunity will open and you can think more seriously about your future and that of your children.”