Who gets to be an American?
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What sparked the debate on birthright citizenship?
I'm Ayesha Roscoe, and this is The Sunday Story, where we go beyond the news of the day to bring you one big story. So a fundamental question is being asked right now. Who gets to be a U.S. citizen? On his first day in office, President Donald Trump signed an executive order attempting to end birthright citizenship for children born in the U.S. whose parents are in the country illegally. Trump's action, although dramatic, wasn't exactly a surprise. He'd been talking about doing exactly this over and over.
We are fighting hard to get birthright citizenship or automatic citizenship for the children of illegal aliens.
This is Trump at a GOP event at his Doral Golf Resort in Miami on January 27th of this year.
It was not meant for everyone to come into our country by airplane or charging across the borders from all over the world and think they're going to become citizens.
After Trump issued his order, 22 states quickly filed lawsuits. And then federal courts temporarily blocked the order, which means that now the issue will move slowly through the legal system. At the heart of this fight is a question that's centuries old. Who is truly American and who gets to decide? Recently, my colleagues at NPR's History podcast, Throughline, revisited the story behind the 14th Amendment and how it came to be. The story focuses on one man, Wong Kim Ark. He was born in 1873 in San Francisco to Chinese parents at a time that the U.S. was turning against Chinese immigrants.
Who is Wong Kim Ark and why is he important?
In part one of their episode, ThruLine lays out how in the 1800s, thousands of Chinese laborers immigrated to the U.S. to work in factories and build America's railroads. But when an economic downturn hit, politicians turned against the Chinese, claiming they were taking low-wage jobs because they were willing to work under slave-like conditions. There were mob attacks and mass lynchings.
What was the significance of the Chinese Exclusion Act?
And in 1882, Congress passed the Chinese Exclusion Act. That prohibited Chinese laborers from entering the country. Under these conditions, Wong Kim Ark and his parents went back to China. But a few years later, he returned to the U.S. to work. He'd make occasional visits back to China to see his family. In 1895, he returned back to San Francisco after one of those visits. But officials refused to let him leave the steamship. The U.S. government was looking for a test case to expand the Chinese Exclusion Act. And he was it. After the break, ThruLine's run to Abdel Fattah and Ramteen Arablui and part two of their story, the test case.
On ThruLine from NPR.
The consequences for the country would have been enormous.
It would have been a crisis. The man who saw a dangerous omission in the U.S. Constitution and took it upon himself to fix it. Find NPR's ThruLine wherever you get your podcasts. Making time for the news is important, but when you need a break, we've got you covered on All Songs Considered, NPR's music podcast. Think of it like a music discovery show, a well-deserved escape with friends, and yeah, some serious music insight. I'm going to keep it real. I have no idea what this story is about. Hear new episodes of All Songs Considered every Tuesday, wherever you get podcasts.
Hi, it's Terry Gross, host of Fresh Air. I just talked to comic Bill Burr. He's known for his anger-fueled humor, which he connects to his upbringing. Let's talk a little bit about your childhood.
Oh, Jesus. People are driving to work here. You know, let's try to give them something uplifting.
He was hilarious and introspective in the interview, and it was a wild ride. You can hear a special extended version of this interview on the Fresh Air podcast from NPR and WHYY.
You're listening to The Sunday Story. Here are my colleagues Ramteen Ereblui and Rond Abdel-Fattah from ThruLine with an excerpt from their episode on birthright citizenship. Here's Rond.
How did Wong Kim Ark's case progress through the courts?
We're looking back at the story of Wong Kim Ark, a man whose legal battle shaped who gets to be an American citizen. In August of 1895, Wong Kim Ark was sitting on a steamship, detained and watched over by guards. He was there because, according to the government, he was not a U.S. citizen, even though he had documentation showing he was born in San Francisco.
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Chapters
6 chapters
1
What sparked the debate on birthright citizenship?
0:04–1:58
2
Who is Wong Kim Ark and why is he important?
1:58–2:25
3
What was the significance of the Chinese Exclusion Act?
2:25–4:48
4
How did Wong Kim Ark's case progress through the courts?
4:48–5:53
5
What was the legal argument in Wong Kim Ark's case?
5:53–10:02
6
How did big businesses influence Wong Kim Ark's case?
10:02–31:12
Speakers
10 identifiedMore from Up First from NPR
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