U.S. residents seek citizenship to play active role

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - In a popular morning talk show based in Los Angeles, Mexican disc jockey Eduardo "Piolin" Sotelo asks his listeners to take part in a quiz on civics.

In the slot dubbed "Who Wants to be a Citizen?" the popular host encourages Hispanic listeners to call in and answer questions on U.S. history, government and the English language.

"If you want to prove that you love this great nation, then you have to become a citizen," Sotelo, whose nickname translates as "Tweety Pie," told Reuters in a telephone interview.

"The residency card is not enough. We want to be part of the American family," he added.

The Mexican jock is at the spearhead of a drive among Hispanic activists across the United States who are calling on legal residents to step up and become citizens.

The move began with mass pro-immigration rallies in 2006 and gathered pace with the failure of a Senate immigration bill in June that sought tougher enforcement together with a path out of the shadows for millions of undocumented immigrants.