How a Young Chinatown Cook Helped Establish Birthright Citizenship in the USA

New York, N.Y. — In the 19th century, a landmark Supreme Court case involving Wong Kim Ark, a young Chinese American cook, forever shaped the future of citizenship in the United States.

In the late 1800s, Wong Kim Ark, born in San Francisco to Chinese immigrant parents, found himself at the heart of a historic legal battle. Despite being born in the U.S., Wong’s citizenship was questioned under the Chinese Exclusion Act—a federal law that severely restricted immigration and discriminated against Chinese immigrants.

In 1895, after a trip to China, Wong was denied reentry to the U.S., with officials claiming that his parents’ Chinese nationality disqualified him from being a U.S. citizen. Wong, however, fought back, taking his case all the way to the Supreme Court.

The court’s 1898 decision in United States v. Wong Kim Ark affirmed the principle of birthright citizenship under the 14th Amendment. The ruling clarified that anyone born on U.S. soil—regardless of their parents’ nationality—is a citizen, barring specific exceptions such as children of foreign diplomats. This precedent not only cemented Wong’s citizenship but also safeguarded the rights of countless others, particularly immigrant families and their children.

Wong’s legacy endures as a pivotal moment in American civil rights history. His courage in challenging the government’s discrimination ensured that the Constitution’s promise of equal citizenship applied to all, regardless of race or heritage.

Wong Kim Ark: The Case That Defined American Citizenship (Jan. 28, 2025)

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