(no subject)

[potofsoup]

Now that I've spent the day reading about it, I feel like the tragedy of Wong Kim Ark is that, even though he won birthright citizenship, the immigration laws at the time made it basically moot -- Wong Kim Ark was one of very few Chinese Americans to be born in America, and he himself went back to China to find a wife, since Chinese women were basically not allowed to immigrate. He had 3 sons over 5 trips to China, and only got to see them once every 5 years or so. The Supreme Court decision was very much about guaranteeing that Irish and German immigrants were able to retain birthright citizenship. So... yeah. I'm not saying it didn't have a lasting effect, but it had a very limited effect on Wong Kim Ark's own ability to have children born in the US.

Comments

[minoanmiss]

Yeah. :/

[mific]

Man, that Chinese Exclusion Act was a piece of work. Not that NZ can talk, as we tightened citizenship in 2006 so not all kids of immigrants are granted it automatically if born here, unless at least one parent is a citizen or has a long-term visa.

[potofsoup]

oof, that's... not great