Useful Links
Summary of the Case & SCOTUS majority decision
https://immigrationhistory.org/item/united-states-v-wong-kim-ark-1898/
March 28, 1898: Wong Kim Ark Wins Citizenship Case
Picture book I Am an American: The Wong Kim Ark Story by Martha Brockenbrough and Grace Lin
https://www.zinnedproject.org/news/tdih/wong-kim-ark-case
https://immigrationhistory.org/item/united-states-v-wong-kim-ark-1898/
March 28, 1898: Wong Kim Ark Wins Citizenship Case
Picture book I Am an American: The Wong Kim Ark Story by Martha Brockenbrough and Grace Lin
https://www.zinnedproject.org/news/tdih/wong-kim-ark-case
Primary Sources
Sworn Departure Statement of Wong Kim Ark, November 5, 1894
https://www.facinghistory.org/resource-library/image/sworn-departure-statement-wong-kim-ark-november-5-1894?backlink=https://www.facinghistory.org/resource-library?search=wong%20ark%20kim
Identification Photograph of Wong Kim Ark
https://www.facinghistory.org/resource-library/image/identification-photograph-wong-kim-ark?backlink=https://www.facinghistory.org/resource-library?search=wong%20ark%20kim
U.S. Reports: United States v. Wong Kim Ark, 169 U.S. 649 (1898).
https://www.loc.gov/item/usrep169649/
Lessons
U.S v. Wong Kim Ark (1898)
This mini-lesson explores the Supreme Court’s interpretation of the 14th Amendment’s Citizenship Clause. Students learn about the difference between jus sanguinis and jus soli citizenship. They also learn about the Chinese Exclusion Act, analyze a historical political cartoon, and review the contents of the U.S. Naturalization Oath.
https://www.icivics.org/teachers/lesson-plans/united-states-v-wong-kim-ark-1898
Racial Identity and American Citizenship in the Court
Three important lawsuits brought by Asian Americans with important consequences for American citizenship, equal protection, and racial identity: Yick Wo, Wong Kim Ark, Thind.
Activity 1:
Assign students either: Takao Ozawa or Bhagat Signh Thind. Give students time to research each individual and their court case, preparing to discuss, compare and contrast these cases as a class.
ACTIVITY 2: Defining Race with the U.S. Census
This activity will have students explore race and how it was defined through an activity around the census.
- Split students into small groups of no more than five people each.
- Ask students to take up the role of a team of 1870 Census takers in their small groups. As census takers, students must categorize everyone so they are correctly counted for the census. The three profiles are three Americans who must be counted for the Census, and students must decide in their small groups the racial category to which each profile belongs, and why.
- Afterwards, ask each group to explain how they categorized the three people and why. Lead a discussion reflecting on the activity.
Chinese immigration lessons and resources
https://www.ilctr.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Teaching-Chinese-Immigration.pdf
Objectives
■ Students will research one of five recommended significant laws and court cases targeting Chinese immigrants in the late 1800s and share their findings with a group.
■ Students will examine all five significant laws and court cases to draw conclusions about history and make connections to the present day.
Guiding questions
■ How did Americans respond to Chinese immigration during this time period?
■ How have Chinese immigrants contributed to the United States despite discrimination?
How did Chinese Americans use the courts to resist racist laws?
Discussion Module (5 min.) The laundry license law in Yick Wo did not mention Chinese people or any other race or ethnicity. Remember that it was only explicitly racist in how it was enforced, rather than how it was written. Do you think that this law was racist or discriminatory? Why/why not? What do you think is the difference between a law that explicitly prescribes discrimination (e.g., the Chinese Exclusion Act which explicitly targets Chinese)
https://www.immigranthistory.org/uploads/1/2/9/4/129459116/02_unit_-_chinese_exclusion_and_resistance.pdf