LOS ANGELES -- Just arrived in the United States? Want to know how to enroll your child in school? Not sure of the difference between an ATM and a debit card? Need driving tips? The U.S. Office of Citizenship and Immigration Services unveiled a new guide Tuesday for recently arrived legal immigrants that answers those questions and more. It's the first major effort in nearly a century to provide basic civic education and practical tips for permanent residents. "Because of the record levels of immigration and the diversities of countries that immigrants are coming from, we want to make sure we engage immigrants as soon as they arrive," said Alfonso Aguilar, head of Homeland Security's Office of Citizenship. The guide is part of an effort to assimilate immigrants into American culture as soon as possible rather than waiting until they become citizens, he said. More than 9 million legal immigrants were admitted to the United States between 1993 and 2003 _ nearly double the number that entered during the 1970s, according to Homeland Security statistics. Aguilar hopes the guide will help broaden discussion about immigrants to include those who come here legally, not just illegally. He realizes some of the information might be useful to undocumented immigrants. Immigrant groups welcomed the 100-page booklet, but some said it was too general and questioned the Office of Citizenship decision to print it only in English and Spanish. The government will gauge the demand for those guides before deciding whether to print versions in other languages, Aguilar said. The initial printed guides will cost $9.50 but will be available at a discount to community groups. Free versions will be available online in more languages, including Chinese, Tagalog, Korean, Russian, Arabic and Haitian Creole. "I'm happy to see this kind of attention from the federal government toward immigrants. It's a first step," said Yoon K. Han, head of the Korean American Coalition's citizenship project. Reprinted from allheadlinenews.com