#13_Aaitko's_Path_to

(css: "font-size: 150%")[Aaitko's Path to Citizenship] In this game you play as an eighteen-year-old refugee from Burma who is about to take his U.S. citizenship test. [[Start->Part 1]]

You little sister who is about eight-years-old walks in the dining room and sees you sitting down. She has a round face and dark hair tied in a ponytail. She says in Burmese, "(link: "သငျသညျလုပ်နေတ ?")[Aaitko, What are you reading?]" (You respond in the same language): [["Nothing Aaitm, why are you up so early?"]] [["I'm practing for the citizenship test."]] [[Back to start->Start]]

"Your test is today though,--(text-color: "red")[cough, cough]--studying isn't going to help you." [["How do you know?"]] [[Back to start->Start]]

"What are three states that border Canada?" (set: $counter to 10)You have (css: "color: red; font-size: 150%")[|amount>[$counter]] seconds left!(live: 1s)[(set: $counter to it - 1)(if: $counter is 0)[(go-to: "Try1")](replace: ?amount)[$counter]] [["There is..."->Try1]] [["I don't know."->Try1]] [[Back to start->Start]]

Your sister takes the paper from you and sits down on the other side of the table. The heading says "101 Civics Questions" on top. She picks a random question and then asks you in English... [[...->Question]] [[Back to start->Start]]

Before you can say anything she answers,"Washington, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota—" [["You didn't give me enough time to answer"...->"I only need to know three of them."]] [["I only need to know three of them."]] [[Back to start->Start]]

"Fine slowpoke. Do you want me to ask another?" [["Yeah. Sure."]] [["Not right now."]] [[Back to start->Start]]

She replies,"I can't--(text-color: "red")[cough, cough]--sleep." [["Are you ok?"]] [["Do you want to eat something?"]] [[Back to start->Start]]

She says,"Yeah. Ummm...I want some soup." [[Make soup]] [["Do you want cereal instead?"]] [[Back to start->Start]]

You spend about ten minutes trying to make soup then pour it in a bowl and tell her, "Be careful, it's hot." You get her a spoon and set the bowl on table (It has short legs, like a coffee table). She sits down on a mat with her legs crossed and says,"Thank you big brother." [["You're welcome."]] [[Back to start->Start]]

She tries the soup and yells out, "(text-color: "green")[Ewww!] Oh Sorry, I mean, I like the way mom makes it..." You take her spoon and try the soup. (You start to feel sick.) [["Ask mom to make you some when she wakes up."->"Mom is here, she can watch you when she wakes up."]] [["Do you want cereal instead?"]] [[Back to start->Start]]

"Can I--(text-color: "red")[cough, cough]--come too?" [["Don't worry. I'll be right back."]] [["Yeah, go get your jacket."]] [[Back to start->Start]]

"You can't leave me by myself!" [["Mom is here, she can watch you when she wakes up."]] [[Back to start->Start]]

She hands you her jacket and you help her put it on. [["Are you ready?"->"Mom is here, she can watch you when she wakes up."]] [[Back to start->Start]]

You hear some movement in the bedroom nearby then a door opens.Your mom walks in, she is a short elderly woman with glasses and a cane who people often mistake for your grandmother. Your sister quickly says,"Good morning mommy, can I go to the store with Aaitko?" [[...->going to store]] [[Back to start->Start]]

Your mom answers,"Yes. Here put this on." Then she grabs some yellowish-white paste and rubs it on her face. Your sister says,"MOM. Why do I have to put that on?" Your mom replies,"Thanaka is good for your skin." [["Do you still want to go to the store?"]] [[Back to start->Start]]

"Yeah, let's go. Bye-bye mommy!" Your mom says "Goodbye Aaitm, be careful." then turns to you, "Hey Aaitko watch your sister." [["I will, goodbye."]] [[Back to start->Start]]

"Ok, are you ready?" [["Yes."->Question 2]] [["Not yet."->Question 2]] [[Back to start->Start]]

"Can I take the test for you?" [["I'll be fine. Are you hungry?"->"Do you want to eat something?"]] [[Back to start->Start]]

"Ok." She walks over to the fridge and opens it. Then replies,"Hey, we don't have any milk." [["I'll go to the store right now."]] [[Back to start->Start]]

" Yeah, I'm ok." [["Do you want to eat something?"]] [[Back to start->Start]]

"When was the con--constitution written?" (set: $counter to 10)You have (css: "color: red; font-size: 150%")[|amount>[$counter]] seconds left!(live: 1s)[(set: $counter to it - 1)(if: $counter is 0)[(go-to: "Answer")](replace: ?amount)[$counter]] [[Answer]] [[Back to start->Start]]

Before you can say anything she answers,"1787." [[...->"Not right now."]] [[Back to start->Start]]

You put on your shoes and lock the door behind you. Your sister is already walking towards the store. [[Tell her to wait...]] [[Back to start->Start]]

You tell her "Aaitm, don't go so far ahead." "Ahh, hurry up slowpoke." You run to catch up to her, then look around. The houses in your neighborhood are old and have paint chipping like the most of the cars parked in front of them. Leaves cover the sidewalk and people's lawns. There's no one else outside. Your sister runs ahead and starts to kick up some of the leaves then approaches an intersection. You don't see any cars coming. [[Tell her to wait]] [[Don't say anything]] [[Back to start->Start]]

"Aaitm, wait." She says "I know," then grabs your hand. [[Cross the street]] [[Back to start->Start]]

She waits for you and holds your hand. [[Cross the street]] [[Back to start->Start]]

You reach the grocery store and go inside. There are a few people in each aisle. You start walking towards the dairy section. Your sister calls out "Aaitko, can you--(text-color: "red")[cough, cough]--get me this?" [[What is it?]] [[Sorry, not right now.]] [[Back to start->Start]]

"An octopus, I think... Can I have it?!" [["Ok. Take care of it though."]] "Thank you." [[Back to start->Start]]

She says "ok" and puts it back on the shelf. [[Continue...->"Ok. Take care of it though."]] [[Back to start->Start]]

You grab the milk, then go to the nearest register. There is a little boy and his mom waiting in line. He points at your sister and asks his mom, "What's that on her face?" The mom turns around and says, "Sorry." Then she pays for her items and leaves with her son. You kow the lady at the register, her name name tag says Monica. She looks at you then says,"Hi Aaitko. Nice suit. Are you going to a party?" [[Explain]] [[Back to start->Start]]

You say (in English) "Hello. I take citi--citizenship test today. Maybe go to party for last day of citizenship class." "Oh ok. Well, how do you feel about the test?" [["A little nervous."]] [["Good."->"A little nervous."]] [[Back to start->Start]]

Monica says "I think you'll do great. Is your mom taking the test too?" You reply "Thank you. My mom is not going to take it yet." She scans your items. You pay her and she gives you the change and receipt. She asks you,"Are you coming to work tomorrow?" You answer,"Yes." Then she says, "Ok well, I'll see you later" and waves goodbye to Aaitm. You and your sister say bye and head to the exit. [[Go home]] [[Back to start->Start]]

You start walking back home. Aaitm asks, "(link: "အဖေတဲ့အခါမှာလာမယ့်သလဲ?")[When is dad coming?]" [[Try to explain]] [[Back to start->Start]]

You tell her,"I'm not sure. He's really sick." "Is that why he couldn't come with us on the plane with us?" "Yeah." "Can he come when he's better?" "I don't think he's gonna get better." [[...->Part 2]] [[Back to start->Start]]

You reach your house and go inside. You tell Aaitm,"Don't forget to take off your shoes." She just says "Ok. (if: (history:) contains "What is it?")[Thank you for the toy.]" and puts her shoes by the door then goes to her rooom. [[...->Leave to bus]] [[Back to start->Start]]

You put the milk in the fridge and your mom quickly walks into the kitchen. She says, "Please hurry, you're going to be late. Here, take my phone to the citizenship interview. You can call Caleb (The citizenship class teacher) if you need anything." [[Tell her about your sister]] [[Leave]] [[Back to start->Start]]

"Hey mom, Aaitm missses dad. What should I tell her?" She replies, "Don't worry, I'll talk to her. Good luck." [[Leave]] [[Back to start->Start]]

You put on your shoes and walk to the the bus stop. The bus shows up and you get on. You pull out a letter with the date, time, and place of your citizenship interview. You ask the bus driver in English, "Hello. I need to go here." You hand him the paper and he checks the route. Someone in the back yells out,"(text-color: "red")[Come on! People got places to be!]" [[...->Phase two]] [[Back to start->Start]]

(if: (history:) contains "What is it?")[Oh no. You don't have enough change to get on the bus because you bought your sister a toy. The guy in the back yells "(text-color: "red")[Hurry up!]" Someone in the front walks up and says,"Here you go man, I got some change." You say,"Thank you" and pay the bus fee.] The bus driver tells you,"Take a seat. I'll let you know where to get off." [[Sit near the front]] [[Sit in the back]] [[Back to start->Start]]

Someone sitting behind you taps your shoulder. (if: (history:) contains "What is it?")[It's the same person who gave you bus money.] He says,"Your tattoos are nice. What language is that?" You roll up your sleave and show him the rest of it. Then say,"Oh, thank you. It is Burmese, it for good luck and um how you say, pro--protection." [[...->Test time]] [[Back to start->Start]]

"(text-color: "red")[Hey boy, didn't you hear me talking to you]?" [[Say sorry]] [[Avoid a conversation]] [[Back to start->Start]]

The guy in the back is much older than you and is wearing glasses. You bow your head and tell him,"Ohhh sorry, sorry. Today very important, I no more trouble you." He replies,"Then why don't you hop on a boat and go back where you came from?" [[Respond]] [[Stay quiet]] [[Back to start->Start]]

"Sorry, no English." "(text-color: "red")[Why don't you peole learn English]?" (That's one of the first things you had to do when coming to the U.S., but the classes were only a few months long. With out anyone to practice with regularly, learning English became difficult.) [[...->Test time]] [[Back to start->Start]]

"Why do you want to become an American citizen?" [[...]] [[Back to start->Start]]

You say,"I come on plane, not boat." He points at you (because you have some scars and tattoos) and says,"(text-color: "red")[I don't care how you got here. We don't need people like you over here causing trouble.]" You tell him,"I no trouble. Go to church every day and pray." You pull out and show him your bible which is translated to Burmese. [[...->Done]] [[Back to start->Start]]

The bus driver tells the guy,"You in the back, keep it down or I'm throwing you off this bus." [[...->Done]] [[Back to start->Start]]

The guy says,"I'm done talking to you." Then he gets off the bus. [[...->Test time]] [[Back to start->Start]]

The bus stops and the driver tells you,"You can get off here, just walk down the street." (if: (history:) contains "Sit near the front")[You tell the person sitting behind you,"Sorry, I have to go." He says,"No problem."] You get off the bus. [[Go to the interview office]] [[Back to start->Start]]

You reach the USCIS office and take a seat. One of the workers say,"Is there an Aaitko here?" You show her your greencard and ID. She says, "Ok. Come with me to my desk." "Let's begin. Please raise your right hand. Do you promise to tell the truth and nothing but the truth , so help you God?" [["Yes."]] [[Back to start->Start]]

"You may sit down. Why do you want to become an American citizen?" [["To vote."->Q1]] [["To help my family."->Q1]] [[Back to start->Start]]

"Now we are going to go over your N-400 application to see if there have been any changes." She asks you several questions: Do you still live at the same adress? -"Yes." What is your name? -"Aaitko Dar." Where do you work? -"I work at Kwik-E-Mart for three years." Where do you attend school? -"I go to Liberty highschool and Refugee Service Center for citizenship class." [[Continue]] [[Back to start->Start]]

Have you ever been a member of, or in any way asscociated with a terrorist organization? -"No." "Have you ever persecuted anyone because of race, religion, national origin, or political opinion?" -"No." Have you ever been arrested or detained by any law enforcement officer? -"About 6 months ago. Um..police stop me and ask where I was going. I tell him home." That doesn't count." -"Oh,Ok. Then I answer no." Have you ever not payed taxes while you were working? -"No." [[Continue->Q2]] [[Back to start->Start]]

Do you support the constitution and form of government of the United States? -"Yes. I read it a few times." What is the Oath of Allegiance? -"It means I am loyal to the U.S. and its constitution, and I will follow the laws of this country." Are you willing to take the full Oath of Allegiance to the United States? -"Yes." Are you willing to serve in the U.S. Armed forces? -"Yes." [[Continue->Q3]] [[Back to start->Start]]

Answer 6 out of 10 of these questions correctly to pass (There is also a reading and writing section that you need to pass): (set: $counter to 120) You have (css: "color: red; font-size:150%")[|amount>[$counter]] seconds left!(live: 1s)[(set: $counter to it - 1)(if: $counter is 0)[(go-to: "Fail")](replace: ?amount)[$counter]] 1) Who is the Vice president? 2) Who is the president? 3) Why did colonists come to America? 4) Name on war fought by the United States in the 1800's. 5) Name three of the 13 original colonies. 6) What is an amendment? 7) Name your U.S. Representative. 8) If both the President and the Vice President can no longer serve, who becomes President? 9) Name one American Indian tribe in the United States. 10) What is freedom of religion? [[Pass]] [[Fail]] [[Back to start->Start]]

The USCIS officer tells you,"Congrulations. You have passed your citizensip interview. You will get a letter in the mail inviting you to the naturalization ceremony. After you take the Oath of Allegiance you can register to vote and apply for a passport." You tell her thank you and go home quickly. [[...->Part 3]] [[Back to start->Start]]

"I'm sorry, but you have failed the Knowledge of U.S. History and Government section of the citizenship interview. You can take the test again in a few weeks, but if you fail, then you will need to start the application proccess over." You tell her,"Thank you, I will study more." [[Go home->Part 3]] [[Back to start->Start]]

You get home and see that Aaitm has her face glued to the front window. She knocks on the glass and waves at you. Then she opens the door and asks you,"(link: "သငျသညျတဖနျပကျြကှကျခဲ့သလား")[How did it go? Did you fail again]?" (if: (history:) contains "Pass")["(link:"ငါအောင်တယ်။")[I passed]!"](if: (history:) contains "Fail")["(link:"ငါတဦးတည်းကပိုပါရှိတယ်")[Yeah, but I still have one more chance]."] (if: (history:) contains "Pass")[[[...->Wow!]]](if:(history:) contains "Fail")[[[...->What if?]]] [[Back to start->Start]]

She yells out,"WOW! Mommy, Aaitko actually passed!" Your mom walks in from the kitchen, her hands are covered in flour. She hugs you, trying not to get any flour on your clothes, and says,"That's very good! I knew you could do it." "Thank you. I felt really nervous during the test, but I'm glad it's over." [[Ask what she's making]] [[Back to start->Start]]

She asks,"What if you fail your second try too? You don't have enough money to take the test again." [[Tell her not to worry]] [[Give her a serious answer]] [[Back to start->Start]]

"Don't worry, I'll definitely pass this time." "That's what you said before." [[...->Sorry]] [[Back to start->Start]]

"It will take a while, but I can save up some money again. I need to pass so we can help our family in Burma." [[...->Sorry]] [[Back to start->Start]]

"What are you making? I could help." "I was making noodles for the party at school, but I just finished. Are you ready to go?" [["Yes."->"yes."]] [["No."]] [[Back to start->Start]]

Your mom walks in from the kitchen, her hands are covered in flour. She can tell from the sad expression on your face that you failed. She hugs you, trying not to get any flour on your clothes. [[Ask what she's making]] [[Back to start->Start]]

"I don't feel going. I'm gonna stay home." She says,"No, you have to go. It's the last day of class, so you should at least say thank you to our teacher." [[Go to party->"yes."]] [[Back to start->Start]]

Your mom puts the noodles in a pot and washes her hands. You give her back her phone and she calls her friend Suu from the citizenship class to ask for a ride. Suu arrives in a few minutes and all of you go to the party together. [[...->party]] [[Back to start->Start]]

You get to the Refugee Service Center and the security guard lets you inside. It is mostly empty because only your class meets on the weekends. The building is small with tile floors and paintings from different cultures on the walls. You carry the noodles to the cafeteria. A few people are already there preparing food. Most of them are from Burma and Somalia. Your mom takes the noodles and goes to help them. Aaitm sits with some of the other kids (if: (history:) contains "What is it?")[and shows them the toy you got her]. Muhad, who is from Somalia, shakes your forearm and says in a deep voice,"Hello Aaitko, how was your test?" You tell him,"Hello Muhad, (if: (history:) contains "Fail")[I did not pass the last part..."](if: (history:) contains "Pass")[I passed!"] He says,"That is good." (if: (history:) contains "Pass")[[["Thank you."->Part4a]]](if:(history:) contains "Fail")[[["It is?"->Part4b]]] [[Back to start->Start]]

"Tell me, how does it feel to be citizen?" [["Good."]] [[Back to start->Start]]

He smiles and says,"Yes. Now you know what to practice. Next time, you pass." [["Thank you, I feel better now."->"Good."]] [[Back to start->Start]]

Muhad replies,"(if: (history:) contains "Fail")[You are welcome](if: (history:) contains "Pass")[I Knew it], but enough about citizenship. Please, come try some food my wife made. Goat is very good." You try it, it tastes different from the food you usually eat, but it's still good. Caleb, the citizenship teacher, arrives and greets both of you. He tells you,"So your mom called me and told me what happened. (if: (history:) contains "Fail")[I'm really sorry. We can practice more if you want](if: (history:) contains "Pass")[I'm really proud of you. Your hard work paid off]." [["Thank you so much teacher."]] [[Back to start->Start]]

"No problem. I'm gonna get some food and be right back." He tries some of your mom's food and then Muhad's. His face turns red and he gasps,"Oh. That is HOT! I really need get something to drink, but I'll see you guys in the clasroom." [[Go to the classroom]] [[Back to start->Start]]

Muhad and you go to the classroom together. Muhad says,"Please excuse me." and goes to sit by his wife and son. There's a row of computers on one side of the room and a whiteboard on the other. Some of the ladies are on a computer together watching make-up tutorials on youtube. Mai, one of the older ladies from Burma asks you,"Can you help me with the computer?" [[Help her]] [[Back to start->Start]]

You turn it on for her and login. She says,"Thank you." and goes to youtube to look up news on Burma. [[Watch the video with her]] [[Back to start->Start]]

"This is Vicki Vale reporting from Bangladesh where many civillians have been forced to flee in fear of their safety. There have been many accounts of rape, burning villages, religious persecution, and ethnic cleansing conducted by the Burmese military. The recent violence in Burma, also known as Myanmar arose after an insurgent attack on police--" Mai stops the video because she can't understand English very well and looks for a different video. [[...->Part5]] [[Back to start->Start]]

Your sister walks in the classroom with some of the other kids and they start drawing on the whiteboard. Caleb walks in right after them and asks everyone to settle down so he can make a speech. He says,"Before everyone starts leaving I just want to say thank you for all your hard work. I'll see you again in a few weeks so all of you can become citizens. Oh, and the food was great too. That's all." Everyone thanks him and some people start leaving. He walks up to you and asks,"Aaitko, how was my speech? Was it inspirational? I'm not sure if they ever work." [[Yes]] [[Back to start->Start]]

You reply,"Yes teacher, it was very good." Aaitm tells you,"(link: "သငျသညျလုပ်နေတ...")[I think it needs some work...]" Then your mom walks in and Caleb says,"I'll see you three when class starts again. Do you need a ride home?" Your mom answers,"No thank you teacher, Suu will take us." [[Go back home]] [[Back to start->Start]]

You go back home and a few weeks later you get a letter in the mail. (if: (history:) contains "Fail")[It has date of your next citizenship test.](if: (history:) contains "Pass")[It has the date of the naturalization ceremony] (if: (history:) contains "Pass")[[[Go to the ceremony->Ending 1]]](if:(history:) contains "Fail")[[[Retake the test->Ending 2]]] (if:(history:) contains "Fail")[[[Don't retake the test->Ending 3]]] [[Back to start->Start]]

You go to the naturalization ceremony and are now able to vote and get a U.S. passport. You contact your father and family in Burma. They immigrate to Bangladesh and you save up some money to go visit them. [[Back to start->Start]]

You retake the test and pass. Your family in Burma moves to a refugee camp in Bangladesh. You lose contact for a few years, but you are able to see some of them eventually. [[Back to start->Start]]

You decide to give up on becoming a citizen and lose contact with your family in Burma. You never see them again. [[Back to start->Start]]