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President Clinton has signed into law the Hmong Veterans Naturalization Act. This new law eases citizenship requirement for Hmong immigrants who fought for the US during the Vietnam war. The Hmong, an ethnic group from Laos, were enlisted by the Central Intelligence Agency in the secret war it conducted in Laos. Estimates show that more than 200,000 Hmong live in the US. The law waives the English language requirement for Hmong veterans, their spouses or widows. Because the Hmong did not have a written language until very recently, many of them found it difficult, if not impossible, to learn English. Those who supported the legislation argued that this should not prevent them from becoming citizens, because during the war they fully demonstrated their loyalty to the US. To be eligible for citizenship under this law, the person must prove that they served in support of the US effort in Laos between February 28, 1961 and Sept 18, 1978. Applicants have 18 months from the date of the law’s enactment to file for citizenship. The number of people who can naturalize under this provision is limited to 45,000.
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