Scholarship May Lead to CitizenshiP Byline: Susan Palmer The Register-Guard Machiko Shirai is almost home. The Japanese tai chi instructor who came to Eugene to go to school and fell in love with Oregon has been granted a waiver that will allow her to apply for permanent residency in this country. The news has delighted the students and research colleagues who wrote letters in her support and raised money to help cover her legal costs as she sought to persuade immigration authorities to let her apply for citizenship. "We're just thrilled for her," said local therapist and longtime tai chi student Wendy Maltz. Shirai actually will have to leave the United States and return briefly to Japan in order to complete the application process. Today, her friends have organized a dance party for her at Tsunami Books, Maltz said. She flies out Tuesday. Shirai came to the University of Oregon in 1994 to study linguistics, but changed direction after she began teaching tai chi classes through Lane Community College. She recognized the profound impact the ancient Chinese martial art had on the health of the senior citizens studying with her and went on to get a master's degree in gerontology at Oregon State University. Over the years, she got involved with health research at the Oregon Research Institute where scientists began studying the overall well-being of her students. Shirai co-authored several articles on the subject in health and gerontology journals. But her commitment to her classes and research, and her growing love for Eugene, were tempered by the reality that her stay here was limited. Her temporary visa required her to leave the United States by June this year. But last fall - in response to her application, which included letters of support from Sen. Gordon Smith, Rep. Peter DeFazio, researchers from across the country and her students - immigration officials allowed her to apply for permanent residency, the first step in becoming a citizen. Foreigners can apply for citizenship in one of three ways: if they're married to or related to a citizen, through a diversity program run as a lottery, or if their employer can show that their unique skills are vital to the nation. That was the method Shirai's lawyer suggested she pursue, but federal rules generally require that a person be employed full-time, and Shirai divides her time between teaching and the Oregon Research Institute. In response to the letters, federal officials agreed to waive the full-time work requirement, said Raquel Hecht, her lawyer. "The difficult part was showing that her contribution to the research group was essential, that without her, they wouldn't be able to carry on," Hecht said. Shirai learned she had been granted the waiver in December. It took several months to set up the official interview with an immigration official. When she re-enters the country, she'll have her "green card," a piece of identification that certifies she can live here indefinitely and apply for actual citizenship after five years. Shirai said she has been overwhelmed by the support she has received, not only from her students and professional colleagues, but also from Smith and DeFazio. In Japan, elected officials are more likely to respond to requests from corporations or institutions than from individuals, she said. When her students told her to write to elected officials here for help, she says she was skeptical that they would take an interest in someone who isn't even a citizen. Their response touched her. "I felt there was a strong, wonderful bond between citizens and politicians," she said. Her interview with the immigration officials at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo is scheduled for June 20. On that day, her students say they'll meet to meditate and send good thoughts her way. And when she touches down in Eugene a few days later, things will be different. "I shall have my green card, and I will be home," she said. Machiko Shirai leads a tai chi class at the Campbell Senior Center in Eugene. Students are working to help her stay in the United States.
-1- | 
Contact Us
