A FORUM FOR COMMUNITY ISSUES : Platform : Immigrants on Voting: ‘Americans Can Stand Up and Speak’ : ADELA POZA, 44, El Salvador / <i> House cleaner, North Hollywood</i>

I want to be a U.S. citizen. I want to be able to vote. Why? Because we can make a very big difference. There’s too many unfair things happening all around. Like if you go to apply to buy a new car and don’t have citizenship or a green card, they can’t give you credit. Or like if you go to the hospital--for Latino people it’s very hard now to get in.

I came from El Salvador 18 years ago. I was one of 22 brothers and sisters. Two years later my husband came with our two children. And since then we have worked very, very hard and have been able to help bring here, over the years, let’s see, about 15 others from our family.

One person I cleaned house for was the widow of a very important man, one of the men who give advice to the President. She helped us apply for permanent residence here and then citizenship. I am going to be a citizen in April. All my life I supported democracy. When I get ready to vote, I will study democracy and vote for the party that goes for democracy. But not the Republicans. I don’t like the way they helped our country keep the civil war on.