In order for Bella Kyi Ku to become a U.S. citizen, she had to pass an extensive exam that involved answering 100 questions about U.S. history and government in English. All refugees are eligible to apply for citizenship after they have lived in the United States for five years.
“I watched citizenship interviews on YouTube, practiced English with my neighbor, and learned new vocabulary,” Bella explains. “I keep the vocabulary in my mind all the time. The vocabulary book– I go to bed with it. I wake up with it.” She also attended citizenship preparation classes through KRM and requested help from a volunteer tutor. Each week for a couple months, the volunteer visited Bella to practice English and the citizenship test questions.
In total, Bella prepared for almost four months, even though she spoke English before coming to Louisville. She and her family are from Burma (Myanmar) and she fled to Thailand due to ethnic persecution of the Karen Burmese. While in Thailand, she attended a teacher preparation program and later taught English to third and fourth grade students for two years.
In March 2010, Bella arrived to Louisville with her husband Ka Ku and their daughter Paw Moo, who was then 11 months old. They were resettled through KRM, and Ka Ku soon obtained a job at JBS Swift, a meatpacking company. They moved to Iowa, living with extended family for two years before deciding to return to Kentucky when they heard news that Ka Ku’s parents would soon resettle in Louisville. “My husband continued to work at his same job, even in Iowa!” Bella says, explaining that Ka Ku worked for Swift in Louisville, in Iowa, and then again in Louisville after they returned–nearly their entire time in the United States.Throughout this time, the family saved for a down payment on a house. “My neighbors, my relatives — they saved so much money to buy a house after two, three years,” Bella says. This year, Bella and her husband had saved enough and bought their first home. “May 6. I remember the closing date,” she adds. The family, now with a second child, a son, Grayson Laku, moved into their new home. “Our backyard is very nice!” she says. A couple months later, Bella’s mother and father, who had been living in Thailand, were resettled in Louisville and moved in with them.
Throughout this time, the family saved for a down payment on a house. “My neighbors, my relatives — they saved so much money to buy a house after two, three years,” Bella says. This year, Bella and her husband had saved enough and bought their first home. “May 6. I remember the closing date,” she adds. The family, now with a second child, a son, Grayson Laku, moved into their new home. “Our backyard is very nice!” she says. A couple months later, Bella’s mother and father, who had been living in Thailand, were resettled in Louisville and moved in with them.
After four months of studying, Bella successfully passed her citizenship exam and became a naturalized U.S. citizen earlier this year. She says she is grateful that as a citizen she can now travel more easily to Thailand to visit her remaining family living there, including her two brothers.
“I still practice my English,” Bella adds. Almost four evenings a week, she attends community English classes. Once a week, Bella comes to KRM to work as an interpreter for cultural orientation classes for newly-arrived clients. This Christmas Day, she will celebrate her 29th birthday — and her first as a U.S. citizen.
[Above photo: Bella Kyi Ku (right) and her husband Ka Ku (left) with their daughter Paw Moo (center), who was 11 months old at the time of their arrival.]
Test Your Knowledge: U.S. Citizenship Test Questions
- How many amendments does the U.S. constitution have?
- Who is the Chief Justice of the U.S.?
- When was the constitution written?
- The House of Representatives has how many voting members?
- The Federalist Papers supported the passage of the U.S. Constitution. Name one of the writers.
ANSWERS:
1. 27
2. John Roberts (John G. Roberts, Jr.)
3. 1787
4. 435
5. (James) Madison ▪ (Alexander) Hamilton ▪ (John) Jay ▪ Publius