Wearing a baby blue suit and holding an American flag, Manuel Gaona stood inside Tulsa City Hall in August to take the oath that would officially make him a U.S. citizen. The process wasn’t easy for him, but Gaona said the benefits of becoming a citizen make it worthwhile.
“When people don’t have the right documentation, they’re more cautious and more fearful of certain things,” Gaona, who has lived in the Tulsa area for about 35 years, said. “Now with everything aligned, someone doesn’t have the worry to go to court if they need to.”
Navigating the citizenship process can be challenging, but there are some Tulsa-area organizations helping people prepare for their exams.
YWCA Tulsa’s citizenship class
YWCA Tulsa provides resources to immigrants and refugees, and manages two community centers in the city.
The organization offers six-week citizenship classes for people with intermediate and above levels of English proficiency. The program focuses on U.S. civics vocabulary and history. An English as a second language placement test is required before completing enrollment.
Due to recent funding changes, YWCA charges a $200 fee to cover the teacher’s salary, books and class materials.
The course covers the 100 civics questions that may be asked during the interview process, the N-400 application and U.S. history and geography. Students also complete practice interview sessions.
If you file an N-400 application on or after Oct. 20, you will be administered the newest 2025 exam, which has an additional 28 questions. You will have to answer up to 12 questions correctly during the interview to pass.
Those interested in the program can call 918-663-0377 to learn more or fill out an online interest form.
American Dream Center, Eastside Rise naturalization workshop
American Dream Center, an organization offering low cost services to immigrants, and Eastside Rise, a Tulsa group focused on helping residents and entrepreneurs connect to resources, hosted a citizenship workshop earlier this year.
The groups plan to host another event in November to answer people’s questions about the naturalization process, help them understand needed documentation and assist individuals with intake forms for their citizenship applications.
People interested can reach out to the American Dream Center at (539) 202-7702.
Eastside Rise’s naturalization program
Eastside Rise supports residents by offering financial assistance to cover the naturalization application fee.
Interested residents meet with program coordinator Olivia Landrum to determine eligibility. Once advised to apply, she helps fill out the naturalization application, or N-400.
Individuals will be assessed for their English as a second language skills. To be eligible for the organization’s program, you must live in Tulsa and meet all government requirements to become a naturalized citizen.
For more information, contact Landrum via email at olandrum@eastsiderise.org or by phone at 918-984-2049.
El Centro
El Centro, an organization focused on empowering migrants, offers English conversational classes from 1:30 to 3 p.m. every Saturday at 1801 S. Garnett Road, near Hannah Hall. A portion of the class is focused on citizenship exam preparation.
Lea este artículo en español aquí.
This article was produced as part of a partnership between the Tulsa Flyer and La Semana, a Tulsa-based bilingual Spanish-English newspaper serving Latino communities in Oklahoma.
News decisions at the Tulsa Flyer are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.
