Immigrants shift status: no longer sojourners  By , Staff writer
of The Christian Science Monitor  After skidding for 30 years,
the rate at which immigrants are becoming US citizens is
marching upward, one sign of a growing attachment and commitment
by the foreign-born to American soil.  Regarded by many social
scientists as a positive harbinger, this trend takes on even
more significance as new census data show a surge among Hispanic
and Asian populations and a significant rise in the portion of
the US population that is foreign-born.  The rate at which
newcomers become US citizens is influenced by a wide range of
factors, including the passage of state and federal legislation
that adversely affects nonvoting residents. Taking the oath
generally benefits the individual - who can then vote - and
society as a whole, say many analysts.  Recommended: Could you
pass a US citizenship test?  "It's an important barometer. What
it reveals is the degree to which people coming here envision
themselves as settlers rathe