Citizenship workshop draws 2,000

SANTA ANA - Nearly 2,000 people turned out for a crash course in how to become a U.S. citizen.

The free workshop at Santa Ana College Saturday was run by the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials, which hopes to enroll 1 million new citizens this year.

The campaign is backed by a Spanish-language media drive aimed at inspiring more Latinos to become citizens and register to vote.

People from as far away as San Bernardino and Los Angeles filled out paperwork under canopies, lined up for photographs or received free, one-on-one tips from volunteer attorneys.

The one-stop-shop style event allowed residents to start and end the application process in a few hours.

Residents who had trouble speaking English had the option of receiving services in Spanish or Vietnamese.