“What does the Constitution do?”

“Who is one of your state’s U.S. Senators now?”

“Name one war fought by the United States in the 1800s.”

These are just three out of 100 questions that Ms. Lily Shang-Strom, Middle and Upper School Mandarin Teacher, had to study in order to gain her citizenship. In a span of a day, Ms. Shang braved obscure American history questions, English tests, and nerve-racking interviews to have a chance at receiving a naturalization certificate. And she did just that. On September 18, 2025, Ms. Shang, hailing from China, gained her U.S. citizenship after living as a permanent resident for over 20 years. 

In 2012, Ms. Shang immigrated to America with a travel visa. Upon her arrival, she applied for a Permanent Residency card– known as a green card–to gain ten-year permanent residency, which she was able to acquire as someone who had been married to a US citizen for over the two-year minimum. 

After living in America for over a decade, Ms. Shang felt as though America was the place that provided her with opportunities to sustain a comfortable life. “Once I came here, I fell in love with where I was. I can help myself or provide for myself,” she said. “America is a land of opportunity.” 

American culture allowed her to feel as though she could be herself without having to seek acceptance from others. In a land full of diversity and culture, Ms. Shang could fit in. “I think there are a lot of Asian cultures where you are trying to satisfy or appeal to other people. Through the years here, I could say that [America] provided me with a lot of communities to help me discover myself, and then figure out my passions,” she said. “I feel that certain freedom, a freedom I didn’t understand before.”  

Still, she wasn’t planning on getting her citizenship just yet. After all, she could automatically renew her green card by paying a fee if her permanent residency status had expired. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, she started considering getting her citizenship due to the intense crackdown on immigration and citizenship by the Trump Administration. 

With pressure from the Trump Administration, even with her genuine love for the United States, Ms. Shang knew she had to take steps to protect herself, so she applied for her citizenship in mid-July of 2025. “I feel like it’s not only just for my own safety. At the same time, I want to stay here, and I feel like it’s time for me to get my citizenship,” she said. “I’m looking at the bigger picture, asking myself, ‘What is my life going to be?’”

The application itself, called the N-400, required her to submit various official documents to determine her eligibility for citizenship, including evidence of the legitimacy of her marriage at the time of application. Filling out the N-400 can be very tedious — so much so that the majority of applicants often hire an attorney to help collect the numerous necessary documents required, including Ms. Shang herself. After submitting the form, a notification arrived in August telling her that she was eligible for citizenship. The next steps would be the naturalization interview and Civics test.

Ms. Shang was particularly nervous about the civics test, so much so that she was initially hesitant to apply for her citizenship. With exactly 100 possible questions, 10 are randomly chosen, and six out of 10 must be answered correctly to pass. The questions range from topics regarding the government, US history, geography, and the rights of citizens. For Ms. Shang, who grew up in China and learned Chinese history in school, memorizing 100 questions on topics she was unfamiliar with was no easy feat. “I feared taking the test,” she said. “What if they’re asking questions I cannot pass? What if I don’t understand American history?”

While studying everything from official government-issued online resources to YouTube videos, she found the material helpful for testing her on the necessary knowledge to be a competent citizen. “I think it was really fun to prepare, and [my husband and I] had Q and A sessions to understand a little bit more about the history of the country and what’s happening,” she said. “I think it was really good to also understand your rights as a citizen.”

Ms. Shang arrived at the Los Angeles Homeland Security Building on September 18. After entering the lobby of the building, she turned in her personal belongings to an officer and headed to her interview. The interviewer asked her questions regarding the N-400, confirming facts and making sure that everything on the form was true, asking questions such as “Have you ever committed a crime?” “Have you filed all of your taxes?” and “Why do you want to become a citizen?”

Right after the interview, the officer orally asked her questions on the civics test, to which Ms. Shang answered immediately with confidence. “I was so nervous. I was just so focused on what her questions were,” she said. 

She ended up passing the test on her first attempt and was given a miniature American flag afterwards.

Gallery • 11 Photos

Jane K. [Canva]

*This sample reflects the previous version of the Civics test that Ms. Shang took, which was on September 18, 2025. The Trump Administration recently passed a law that increased the difficulty of the Civics test for all naturalization applicants who apply after October 20th, 2025.

Having passed both the interview and the civics test back-to-back, Ms. Shang was just inches away from officially becoming a citizen. She took an elevator downstairs to a small assembly room with a dozen other immigrants who had also just passed both tests. Standing in a uniform line, each person in the room was called up front by an official to take the Oath of Allegiance. 

When Ms. Shang heard her name, she nervously walked up to the stage and faced the crowd. As she held up her palm and repeated the lines of the Oath of Allegiance from the official, she did her best to suppress all the emotions building up inside of her.

It was a big moment.

“…that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion…” 

The tears welled up.  

“I thought I would never pass the interview and the civics test. However, I pushed myself, and it went so well,” she said, reflecting on her journey. “I never felt so proud of myself in my life.” 

In celebration of this important milestone, Ms. Shang’s colleagues prepared a gift to present. Upper School Latin Teacher Dr. Hilary Malspeis processed a request through her region’s congressional district representative to have an American flag temporarily flown over the US Capitol in her honor, a common tradition for newly naturalized citizens. 

Armed with a box of tissues, Dr. Malspeis later presented the flag and a certificate signed by state representative Gil Cisneros at a faculty meeting. Ms. Shang tearfully accepted the memento, moved by her colleague’s kind act. 

“I wanted the rest of her colleagues to know what a joyous occasion it was for her and just how hard she had worked,” said Dr. Malspeis. “She’s a lovely, sweet individual with such a kind, caring heart. I know she would do the same thing for any of us, if we had a moment in our lives that was just as significant.”

For Ms. Shang, the interview and civics test were something that required utmost diligence, discipline, and courage. For her, the process was a testament of her commitment and proof of her abilities. “This was the first time I was super proud of myself in life,” said Ms. Shang. “With that said, always trust yourself and your ability. Sometimes we have to put ourselves in a situation where we might feel scared, nervous, and anxious, but you have got to trust yourself and make it through.”

Click here to watch a video taken by Upper School Spanish Teacher Ms. Nalei Guzman of the moment Ms. Shang received the memento from Dr. Malspeis in a faculty meeting.