The Boston Globe from Boston, Massachusetts • 18

CT18 THE BOSTON GLOBE SATURDAY, DECEMBER 11, 1993 More immigrants citizenship in the seeking US "Bearing true faith and allegiance" 291 immigrants from 23 countries were sworn in as naturalized United States citizens yesterday in a ceremony at Stonehill College in Easton. Here are some who took the oath of allegiance: If 'I don't believe that anybody in America is a "real American." We are all THON CHEN College student Is! i -ST Bala Iyer (above), his wife Hema, and his daughters Seema and Vandana, came to the United States from India ten years ago, following other members of the family. They settled in Attleboro. After Seema was disqualified from a scholarship award because her parents were not citizens, Iyer decided to apply. But now, they say, their commitment has deepened.

Vandana, a high school student, will apply for citizenship now as the child of naturalized citizens. 7 hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty of whom or which I have citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the all enemies foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by law; that I in the Armed Forces of the United States when required by law; that I importance under civilian direction when required by the law; that I take mental reservations or purpose of evasion; so help me God." CITIZENSHIP Continued from Page 1 eignty --ii. Like the Iyers, many immigrants at yesterday's naturalization cere- had put off citizenship for years. Over a decade, millions of for-eign residents eligible to become citi- zens have chosen not to do so, suaded by practical obstacles, confusion about the law, and the nostalgic call of their home countries. That pattern is changing, immigration officials and other specialists say.

Demand for citizenship applica- tions is increasing across the coun-try, in some places nearly doubling. As a rising percentage of immigrants apply, some 3 million foreign residents who received legal status under a 1986 law are also becoming eligible for the first time to become citizens. In an era when immigrants regularly return to their home countries and keep in close contact with relatives there, the decision to change national allegiance remains a difficult choice for many, tied to intangible notions of identity. Naturalization rates are low for immigrants from some countries that do not permit dual citizenship. They are lowest for those from Canada and Mexico.

Even some immigrants whose past has closed behind them find the transition bittersweet. Yesterday, Thon Chen, a 20-year-old student at Stonehill College, remembered walking alone out of Cambodia 10 years ago, an orphan from a family destroyed by Khmer Rouge soldiers. Arriving in Lynn four years later, he went on to become an honor student and is an aspiring lawyer. "I still have everything that I came here with as a Cambodian," he said. "I don't believe that anybody in America is a 'real We are all from immigrants.

What I want is to be as American as anybody else." Bala Iyer put it this way: "There are two aspects of human beings, one physical and the other emotional. People who come to this country want to unite these two things. Benefits of citizenship range Ty nuuciniai Center BELVIDERE ST. GLOBE STAFF A I y-; oieign pen raraue II Time: From noon to 3 p.m. tomorrow Start Boylston and Hereford Streets i CV1 Finish: State House Charles Vg River 0 MASS.

VO. turnpikeJt'? I BELVIDERE ST. child are citizens. "It's about time," she said, smiling. Last month, the new INS commissioner, Doris Meissner, announced an initiative that would streamline aspects of the application process while promoting citizenship through a publicity campaign aimed at eligible immigrants.

"I think we'll see a significant surge in applications by the spring," said Steven Farquharson, the chief for naturalization at the Boston office of INS. His wife, Basilia, a na iLi kJI I all allegiance and fidelity to any heretofore been a subject or United States of America against allegiance to the same; that I will will perform noncombatant service will perform work of national this obligation freely without any from voting to eligibility for jobs on police forces and in government, to greater ease in travel and less anxiety about a current backlash against non-citizens. Citizens can also sponsor relatives who immigrate. For the Iyers, the initial motivation came when their eldest daughter, Seema, won an $8,000 scholarship for a high school science project but was disqualified because her parents were not citizens. Now in college, she, too, was sworn in yesterday.

But more than the lives of individual immigrants will probably be affected by the growing appeal of citizenship. It also promises to change towns and cities where large numbers of recent immigrants would acquire voting rights and an incentive to participate more fully in civic affairs. "This will really bring the voice of new immigrants to our community in a significant way," said Muriel Heiberger, director of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition, which has launched a statewide citizenship campaign. To become a citizen, legal immigrants must have lived in the United States for five years, or three if they are married to citizens. With some exceptions, applicants must read and write in English and pass a written or oral examination on US history and government, answering questions that may require them to explain separation of powers or name the 25th president.

The Immigration and Naturalization Service estimates that 10 million legal immigrants are not US citizens, CAMBRIDGE ST I Parking restrictions rush on for nonprofit catalogs although it is unknown how many might be eligible. While about 1 million legal immigrants are admitted to the country annually, about 300,000 immigrants each year become naturalized citizens. Predictions of an increase in the number of applications stem partly from 1986 legislation that legalized the status of some 3 million undocumented immigrants. Last month, the first of those immigrants completed the five-year waiting period and can now apply to become citizens. David Rosenberg, a private consultant on immigration policy based in Newton, estimated that as many as 3.5 million new citizens would be naturalized during the next two or three years.

However, he said, the application rate will depend largely on addressing shortages of English-language courses and on whether the process remains intimidating to many newcomers. At yesterday's ceremony, for residents of Bristol County, immigrants praised the introduction of a standardized written test that can be taken locally as an alternative to an oral exam administered by an INS officer in Boston. The oral exam has been criticized by some immigrants as an occasionally arbitrary and at times confrontational exercise. Among an older, Portuguese-speaking population, there was strong support for a provision that waives language requirements for immigrants older than 50 who have lived here for 20 years and those older than 55 who immigrated 15 years ago. "I am very happy to finally achieve the goal I have wanted for so long," said Americo Farinha, a 62-year-old native of Portugal, as his daughter, Paula, translated.

Father and daughter work together making coats for Whaling Manufacturing of Fall River, where the family has lived for 17 years. Both became citizens yesterday. They were among several coworkers to take the oath at the ceremony, including the firm's personnel director, Grace Oliveira, 31, who has been an immigrant since she was 12 years old and whose husband and Christmas CATALOGS Continued from Page 15 Postal Service to reevaluate just what products reflect an organization's mission and therefore deserve tax benefits and reduced postage fees. "It's going to be item by item," said Postal Inspector Jerome Lease. "I've heard, for starters, that T-shirts and mugs are not going to make the cut." The government grants nonprofit status to an organization providing needed services to society on the condition that any income generated above expenses and nominal salaries be directed back into the organization's cause, according to Patrick Sarver, editor of the trade journal "I think he's terrific," said a woman dressed like a candy cane, who strolled through Winter Wonderland on Boston Common, delivering a candygram under the pseudonym Kandy Kane.

"I wish he would come see the candy cane lady. I've got four kids." In each case, Santa showed up in the limousine. In most cases, he was in and out like a flash. Each shocked recipient got a postcard like the ones he passed out at the shelter. Witnesses describe the jolly one as thinner and younger than most Santas, about 5 feet 7, with a full Santa suit and whiskers and blond hair.

"It was completely out of the blue, a real shock," said Gabrielle LaFon, a hostess at the Blue Diner and one of Santa's lucky subjects. "It couldn't have been better timing," said LaFon, who plans to use the $50 to help pay the rent and buy Christmas gifts. "He didn't say a word," said Boston Chicken manager Troy Walton, $50 richer by his Santa encounter. "He just walked in and started handing them out I wanted to give him a hug." Walton plans to buy presents for his niece and nephew with the money. Thon Chen (above), 20, was orphaned at age six after his father and five siblings were killed by Khmer Rouge soldiers in Cambodia.

He watched his mother starve to death. He survived as a street child before walking alone, at age 10, to a refugee camp in Thailand. Admitted to the United States in 1988, he learned English and became an honors student at Lynn Classical High School He earned admission to Boston College, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and other schools, but accepted a full scholarship to Stonehill College. Now a junior majoring in management, he plans to attend law school. GLOBE STAFF CHART nic Institute in Troy, N.Y., had arrived home late the previous night to discover that she had left behind legal documents she was required to present at the naturalization ceremony.

In the chaos that followed, a call was placed to the school. Several classmates retrieved the document and drove through the night, arriving in Attleboro at 4 a.m. "You see, there are good people everywhere," Iyer said. The latest Boston Museum of Fine Arts catalog offers products that promotion department staffer Claire Bryan said "impart a greater understanding of the museum's collections and encourage an appreciation of art, history and culture." While most of the gifts appear to do just this, others require a bit more imagination, such as. the "Brass Tip Tops" for $29.95.

These are "bed posts that spin! For the person who has everything!" In the arena of nonprofit mailings, museums such as the MFA and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York have posted some of the largest gains, making up almost 35 percent of all nonprofit mailings last year. "He's not giving people enough money to change their lives," she said, "but they could do something special that they wouldn't otherwise have the money to do." Globe staff writer Chris Black and contributing reporter Kevin B. O'Leary contributed to this report Americo Farinha (above), 62, and Paula Farinha, his 18-year-old daughter, were sworn in together. He and his wife, Maria, and their two children emigrated from Angola in 1976. They were Portuguese citizens.

He has worked most of the time since in the factory of a coat manufacturer in Fall River, where the family lives. Because he did not learn English, Farinha was not eligible to become a citizen until after his 60th birthday, when, with more than 15 years as a resident of the country, the language requirement was waived Maria Farinha said she would apply for citizenship soon. tive of Portugal, became a citizen recently after waiting for 19 years. He said that last year applications rose by 6 percent in Boston. Local activists report overflow crowds at recent citizenship workshops.

"If I wanted to stay here it was a responsibility to get citizenship," Bala Iyer said. "The day I get citizenship I am registering to vote. It is a necessary part of moral living." Yesterday, the Iyer family was laughing because Seema, a 19-year-old student at Rensselaer Polytech- "I don't like to make a fuss because the National Wildlife Federation supports a great cause, but the playing field is not level," Piro said, noting that he can't use as a selling point a social-conscience appeal that may make sales easier. Beyond that, the great competitive imbalance is the postage fee, the largest expense for the catalog merchant. A nonprofit company spends 8.5 cents less to mail a piece bulk rate, third class mail than what a for-profit company spends.

UNICEF, for example, saved $297,000 mailing 3.5 million Christmas catalogs last October, according to Tsugiko Scullion, executive vice president for the US Committee for UNICEF. who saw him but got nothing were mesmerized by his actions. "This is truly a wonderful thing this man is doing," said Phyllis Charlton, a waitress at the Blue Diner who was wearing an "I believe in Santa Claus" T-shirt when the $50 Santa came in, but got nothing. V. route i sit house i a Sivy I I JJi F1NISH pllBI7c BOSTON 1 i 0 VyAff Non-Profit Times.

For example, the polar bear on the cover of the National Wildlife1 catalog holds a placard promising consumers that their purchases "secure the future for endangered species." The catalog, published by the National Wildlife Federation, promises that an average of 15 percent of every purchase will go toward conservation education programs. The rub comes for entrepreneurs such as Robert Piro, president of the Chelmsford-based Catalog Ventures Inc. One of his catalogs, Serengeti, offers products similar or identical to many of the animal-emblazoned items featured in National Wildlife -for the same price, within pennies one way or the other. -J No traffic or parking allowed on streets listed below from 7 a.m. until Mystery Santa spreads cheer with $50 Yuletide handouts the parade passes by.

Boytetoa St: Mass. Ave. to Charles St DaKoii St: Boylston St to BeMdere St Charfe St: Boylston St to Beacon St Beacon St: Charles St to Bowdoin St MAP On Thursday, four people inside the Boston Chicken restaurant on Tremont Street, two on the sidewalk outside the restaurant and four more at the Blue Diner on South Street picked up extra Christmas money. Yesterday, as word of the mystery Santa spread through town, many people were speculating about Santa's identity and his motive for passing out the money. Was this some radio station promotion that would be unveiled Christmas Eve? Or perhaps mystery Santa is an eccentric billionaire who wanted to buy Paramount but didn't and has some extra cash lying around? Or maybe even a department store that will admit its culpability and offer shoppers $50 cash discounts on major items? "I think it seems like some secret Stephen King sort of thing," joked Jeanine Lombardo, a waitress at Bennigan's Restaurant, referring to the horror novelist "Everyone who got the $50 will start getting a rash and losing body parts." Santa's exploits were a major topic of conversation among Yuletide shoppers and downtown workers, who praised his generosity and wondered where his limo would show up next SANTA CLAUS Continued from Page 15 vulge any infor- mation about its clients.

The owner of ABC Limousine would not confirm or deny that San-i ta was a client, but when asked if Santa would ride again, he said, "The job is not complete." The mystery Santa started his flqdyssey of largesse Monday, when fhe passed out $50s with Christmas postcards to 10 customers and staff at the Marshall's store in the Back Bay around noon. fy On Tuesday evening, four people at Bennigan's Restaurant in the Transportation Building in Park Square were slapped with $50s. On Wednesday, four more people at upscale toy store FAO Schwarz on Boylston Street were each handed half-a-hundred in holiday cheer, '-tyhile outside, Salvation Army bell -ringer Michael Kiely was surprised a $50. rv Ed, a doorman at the Four hotel, was handed $50 and a 'card by Santa through the open door of the limousine Wednesday afternoon, and Santa also gave $50 to the Light a Life fund at Downtown Crossing. GLOBE STAFF PHOTO JIM DAVIS Little Raymond, holding a holiday card dropped off yesterday by a mysterious "Kris Krlngie," and fellow Long Island Shelter resident Hollywood share a laugh thinking about the $200 that came tucked inside it "It was like a 'Miracle on 34th Street' type thing," said bell ringer Kiely, a recovering alcoholic, who had simply waved at the Santa out of Christmas spirit.

The seeming preposterousness of the Christmas gesture stopped activity for several minutes in each of the places Santa visited. And even those.