Amanda Frost

At this point, the Chinese Exclusion Act was in effect. And so if you were a Chinese laborer, you were not allowed to enter. Wong Kim Ark argued with the customs official. He said, yes, I'm a laborer, I'm a chef, but I'm a citizen. And here's the proof. He had his certificates. He knew that he was born in the United States and that meant he was a U.S. citizen.

At this point, the Chinese Exclusion Act was in effect. And so if you were a Chinese laborer, you were not allowed to enter. Wong Kim Ark argued with the customs official. He said, yes, I'm a laborer, I'm a chef, but I'm a citizen. And here's the proof. He had his certificates. He knew that he was born in the United States and that meant he was a U.S. citizen.

But he also must have had a little fear about that because he filed a certificate of identity before he left that had a picture of him and said, I was born in the United States. I'm a US citizen.

But he also must have had a little fear about that because he filed a certificate of identity before he left that had a picture of him and said, I was born in the United States. I'm a US citizen.

But he also must have had a little fear about that because he filed a certificate of identity before he left that had a picture of him and said, I was born in the United States. I'm a US citizen.

And he had three white witnesses, white people, because that's all the only kind of witness the US government would accept, who were willing to say he was born in the United States and they'd known him from childhood. So he was prepared. But that preparation didn't add up to much because... Unbeknownst to Wang, while he was in China, the U.S.

And he had three white witnesses, white people, because that's all the only kind of witness the US government would accept, who were willing to say he was born in the United States and they'd known him from childhood. So he was prepared. But that preparation didn't add up to much because... Unbeknownst to Wang, while he was in China, the U.S.

And he had three white witnesses, white people, because that's all the only kind of witness the US government would accept, who were willing to say he was born in the United States and they'd known him from childhood. So he was prepared. But that preparation didn't add up to much because... Unbeknownst to Wang, while he was in China, the U.S.

government had decided it wanted to bring a test case challenging birthright citizenship, particularly for the children of Chinese immigrants. So they chose him, and they didn't let him get off that boat.

government had decided it wanted to bring a test case challenging birthright citizenship, particularly for the children of Chinese immigrants. So they chose him, and they didn't let him get off that boat.

government had decided it wanted to bring a test case challenging birthright citizenship, particularly for the children of Chinese immigrants. So they chose him, and they didn't let him get off that boat.

Wong Kim Ark's parents were one of a tiny minority of Chinese immigrants coming into the United States in the 1860s and 70s. We don't know exactly when they arrived, but we know they arrived at least before Wong Kim Ark's birth.

Wong Kim Ark's parents were one of a tiny minority of Chinese immigrants coming into the United States in the 1860s and 70s. We don't know exactly when they arrived, but we know they arrived at least before Wong Kim Ark's birth.

Wong Kim Ark's parents were one of a tiny minority of Chinese immigrants coming into the United States in the 1860s and 70s. We don't know exactly when they arrived, but we know they arrived at least before Wong Kim Ark's birth.

And I'm the author of a book entitled You Are Not American, Citizenship Stripping from Dred Scott to the Dreamers.

And I'm the author of a book entitled You Are Not American, Citizenship Stripping from Dred Scott to the Dreamers.

And I'm the author of a book entitled You Are Not American, Citizenship Stripping from Dred Scott to the Dreamers.

He later told immigration inspectors he was born in the middle room on the second floor at 751 Sacramento Street in Chinatown in the residential apartments over his parents' door.

He later told immigration inspectors he was born in the middle room on the second floor at 751 Sacramento Street in Chinatown in the residential apartments over his parents' door.

He later told immigration inspectors he was born in the middle room on the second floor at 751 Sacramento Street in Chinatown in the residential apartments over his parents' door.