Immigration Institute of the Bay Area

Immigration Institute of the Bay Area

  • IIBA Lead Citizenship Instructor: Anthony Moss

    “I’ve always had a love for language. I’ve always liked working with people from different cultures and backgrounds,” says Anthony Moss. In his 11 years as IIBA’s lead citizenship instructor, Anthony has done exactly that, teaching an average of 400 citizenship students a year.

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  • Citizenship Student: Shodi H.

    “As a taxi driver, every day I pick up customers from different countries, who share their stories with me. This is very similar to my experience as a student in IIBA’s citizenship classes. I look at my classmates from Ukraine, Mexico, and China, and think, ‘Wow this is the United States,’” says Shodi.

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  • Volunteer: Ariana Hoyt

    Ariana Hoyt first began to work with the immigrant community while attending Stanford. “In college, I worked for a tutoring program for Stanford janitors. It opened my eyes to see the janitor I worked with go through so much, yet still make an effort to improve his English.” This experience solidified her desire to work…

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  • Volunteer: James Phelps

    When high school student James Phelps began volunteering at IIBA, he knew his work would help others, but he had no idea the impact that volunteering would have on his own worldview.

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  • Staff Profile: Hangama Asefi

    Community Outreach Coordinator of IIBA’s Fremont office, Hangama Asefi has intimate knowledge of the traumas many immigrants face.

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  • IIBA Client: Maria

    Maria arrived at IIBA’s citizenship preparation class last Tuesday just as she had done every week for the past six months. But this Tuesday was different since Maria was there to inform her fellow classmates and IIBA staff that she had just passed her citizenship interview and was now a U.S. Citizen.

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  • IIBA Volunteers: Robert and Rachel

    When park rangers Robert and Rachel are not protecting America’s National Parks, they are volunteer teachers at IIBA’s citizenship preparation class in San Francisco. “My wife Rachel had signed up to volunteer at IIBA and asked me to accompany her, as I had prior experience working with citizenship students. I had planned only to help…

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  • Maria Luna

    Through her accomplishment, Maria not only has earned full access to all the benefits of citizenship for herself, but she has also paved the way for her son. “Now that I have my citizenship, my son is eligible to become a U.S. citizen.” Asked what she would tell someone in need of immigration services, Maria…

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  • Volunteer Monica Devens

    Monica began volunteering at IIBA in 2009, after leaving her position at a law firm. “I am not any different at IIBA than I would be at a firm,” she explains, “but I feel more appreciated for being who I am here. It’s a much more human interaction. I didn’t get hugged by my clients…

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  • Volunteer Elena Knapton

    When Elena Knapton attended IIBA’s citizenship class, the instructor, Sean, impressed her right away. “In a classroom with so many people from so many different backgrounds, he made everyone feel comfortable. When I found out he was a volunteer, I thought, ‘He’s really walking the extra mile.’”

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