Existing comment:
1898 United States v. Wong Kim Ark:
The Federal government claims that although Wong Kim Ark was born in California and has spent his life there, he is not a US citizen and cannot return to California after a visit to China. The US Supreme Court rules otherwise, stating that the Fourteenth Amendment guarantees the right of citizenship to all born in the US, not simply those of certain races.
"If [Chinese can become citizens], then verily there has been a most degenerate departure from the patriotic ideals of our forefathers; and surely in that case American citizenship is not worth having."
-- Solicitor General Holmes Conrad, counsel for the US government, 1898
1908 Thurgood Marshall born:
Marshall will serve as lead attorney for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in the landmark 1954 Brown v Board of Education case, in which the US Supreme Court will declare segregated schools to be inherently unequal. In 1967, he will become the first African American appointed to that court.
1913 Alien Land Law:
California prohibits "aliens ineligible for citizenship" (meaning Asians) from owning property in the state. Similar laws are adopted in other states.
1924 Johnson-Reed Immigration Act:
Congress sets quotas for immigration that favor Northern and Western Europeans over people from Eastern and Southern Europe. It also completely excludes Japanese but places no limits on immigration from Canada or Latin America. |