What question did this study set out to answer?

This examination seeks to understand how the Fourteenth Amendment's wording reflects views on citizenship and alienage, particularly for Chinese immigrants.

February 11, 2026

The Meaning of Alienage for Wong Kim Ark

Key Points

This examination seeks to understand how the Fourteenth Amendment's wording reflects views on citizenship and alienage, particularly for Chinese immigrants.
Analyzed the legislative debates surrounding the Fourteenth Amendment.
Investigated the historical context of Chinese immigration during that period.
Explored the implications of citizenship definitions on different ethnic groups.
The amendment primarily focused on newly emancipated Black individuals.
Chinese immigrants were largely excluded from citizenship considerations.
Native people's citizenship status remained ambiguous and excluded from the amendment's intent.

Abstract

When Congress debated the wording of the Fourteenth Amendment, Chinese immigration was not at the forefront of legislators’ minds. They were primarily focused on granting citizenship to newly emancipated Black people while continuing to deny it to Native people living outside of America’s jurisdiction. Their ultimate choice of words reflected these desires. The first sentence of the amendment proclaimed, “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.” 1

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