Los Angeles: All-Night Classes

The 1.4 million adult aliens who sought amnesty under the program that ended last month now face a new hurdle: to remain in the U.S., they must pass tests in history and basic English. Since many are illiterate in their own language, this is no small obstacle. The Immigration and Naturalization Service has been slow to detail the requirements or offer textbooks, but Los Angeles, with 745,000 applicants, has jumped into the breach. The city has enrolled 30,000 adults, a number expected to reach 200,000 by July.

The crush has created a new educational wrinkle: round-the-clock classes. To accommodate immigrants working long shifts, one community school has added classes from 9:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. and from 2 a.m. to 6 a.m. “I only get about two hours sleep,” says wee-hour Student Jorge Chacon, who left El Salvador in 1974. “But I need to learn English.”