Ramtin Arablouei

The school is a beautiful red, green, and white building. It's designed in a classic Chinese style. Raised pavilions, ornate paneling covering the windows, curved shingles on the roof. This should probably be a site where tourists flock because of its connection to Wong Kim Ark. He was the defendant in a court case that would forever alter U.S. immigration laws.

This is Sandra Wong.

This is Sandra Wong.

This is Sandra Wong.

He fought for his birthright citizenship, the idea that, with some small exceptions, if you're born in the United States, then you're automatically a citizen. A concept that isn't foreign for many of us. I immigrated to the US from Iran as a child, but my son, who was born in Maryland, is the first person in my entire family to be a US citizen because he was born here.

He fought for his birthright citizenship, the idea that, with some small exceptions, if you're born in the United States, then you're automatically a citizen. A concept that isn't foreign for many of us. I immigrated to the US from Iran as a child, but my son, who was born in Maryland, is the first person in my entire family to be a US citizen because he was born here.

He fought for his birthright citizenship, the idea that, with some small exceptions, if you're born in the United States, then you're automatically a citizen. A concept that isn't foreign for many of us. I immigrated to the US from Iran as a child, but my son, who was born in Maryland, is the first person in my entire family to be a US citizen because he was born here.

Many of the staff on ThruLine are either first, second, or third generation immigrants who have some experience with the complexities of this legal principle. It's easy to think that it's always been this way. But the question of who is an American has always been up for debate.

Many of the staff on ThruLine are either first, second, or third generation immigrants who have some experience with the complexities of this legal principle. It's easy to think that it's always been this way. But the question of who is an American has always been up for debate.

Many of the staff on ThruLine are either first, second, or third generation immigrants who have some experience with the complexities of this legal principle. It's easy to think that it's always been this way. But the question of who is an American has always been up for debate.

And the answer to that question is always a product of the political, social, and economic realities of when it's being asked. It's an issue that's still contested today.

And the answer to that question is always a product of the political, social, and economic realities of when it's being asked. It's an issue that's still contested today.

And the answer to that question is always a product of the political, social, and economic realities of when it's being asked. It's an issue that's still contested today.

In this episode of ThruLine from NPR, we're gonna experience Wong Kim Ark's story and learn how his legal battle changed the debate about who gets to be an American.

In this episode of ThruLine from NPR, we're gonna experience Wong Kim Ark's story and learn how his legal battle changed the debate about who gets to be an American.

In this episode of ThruLine from NPR, we're gonna experience Wong Kim Ark's story and learn how his legal battle changed the debate about who gets to be an American.

This is Amanda Frost. Amanda is a law professor at the University of Virginia and has practiced immigration law for years.

This is Amanda Frost. Amanda is a law professor at the University of Virginia and has practiced immigration law for years.

This is Amanda Frost. Amanda is a law professor at the University of Virginia and has practiced immigration law for years.

And this is Carol Nakanoff.