Aram Han Sifuentes turns moCa’s Kohl Monumental Staircase and elevator into a participatory quiz, testing visitors on their knowledge of the 100 U.S. naturalization test questions as they travel throughout the museum. To pass this civic test, which is a requirement to become a U.S. citizen, individuals are asked ten of the 100 possible short answer questions and must answer six correctly. The exam is held orally in English and the answers regularly change with elections and governmental appointments, a potential hurdle on the journey to U.S. citizenship.*

The questions on the staircase and in the elevator are written in Arabic, English, Korean, and Spanish, the first languages of the majority of Han Sifuentes’s collaborators and participants in her workshops. The variety of languages in Can You Pass? illustrates the literacy difficulties and policy changes non-citizens navigate to become United States citizens.

*Certain English language exceptions and special considerations are given to individuals 50 years and older who have been living as permanent residents in the United States for at least 15 years.