The “Social Distance” between Africa and African-Americans
American popular culture inhibits a close relationship between African-Americans and the African continent.
How Migrant Labor Policies Shaped a Latino Identity
When Puerto Rican and Mexican workers came to the U.S. in large numbers, they faced similar discrimination and bigotry.
How “Prerequisite Cases” Tried to Define Whiteness
A law of 1790 said that only "free white persons" were eligible to be naturalized. But courts struggled for years afterward to tell who was white at all.
Kimberlé Crenshaw’s Intersectional Feminism
Legal scholar Kimberlé Crenshaw broke new ground by showing how women of color were left out of feminist and anti-racist discourse.
How the Vietnam War Shaped U.S. Immigration Policy
The makings of our modern resettlement system can be traced back to the fallout of the Vietnam War, a cascade of international crises stoked by the U.S.
21 Savage and “Deported Americans”
Rapper 21 Savage’s deportation battle highlights an important aspect of contemporary immigration policy that is often overlooked.
How Love Transformed American Immigration Law
Love was a deciding factor in the expansion of Asian immigration to the United States, via laws that emerged from Congress in the 1960s.
Why Are U.S. Borders Straight Lines?
The ever-shifting curve of shoreline and river is no match for the infinite, idealized straight line.
The Problem with “Public Charge” Rules
Historically, public charge rules have been a threat to immigrants dismissed as too disabled to be full contributors to the country.
Birthright Citizenship Basics
Birthright citizenship, which holds that individuals are citizens of the nation in which they are born, was codified with the 14th Amendment in 1868.