Post Reports: The Little-Known History of Birthright Citizenship
Released: May 14, 2025
Hosts: Martine Powers and Elahe Izadi
Special Guest: Norman Wong
Contributor: David Nakamura

Introduction: Norman Wong and Wong Kim Ark’s Legacy

[00:03 – 04:35]

The episode opens with the introduction of Norman Wong, a 75-year-old retiree from near San Francisco and the great-grandson of Wong Kim Ark, the pivotal figure in establishing birthright citizenship in the United States. Hosted by Elahe Izadi and David Nakamura, the hosts outline Norman’s unexpected transition from a carpenter and builder to an accidental activist following President Donald Trump's administration:

• Elahe Izadi [00:33]: "He wasn't really like an activist... once Trump was in office again, this sort of accidental activist who is now called upon to sort of be the public face of the campaign to sort of save birthright citizenship."

Norman shares his personal connection to the legacy of his great-grandfather:

• Norman Wong [00:59]: "Like my great grandfather, I too was born American in the same city, San Francisco, more than 75 years after him. We are both Americans, but unlike him, my citizenship has never been challenged."

Historical Context: The Wong Kim Ark Case

[04:35 – 07:47]

David Nakamura delves into the historical significance of Wong Kim Ark’s challenge to U.S. citizenship laws:

• Norman Wong [05:21]: "He wasn't permitted to disembark from the ship. They kept him on a boat for five more months while he fought in district court."

• Elahe Izadi [05:37]: "There was a lot of anti-Chinese sentiment in the country... which had passed laws prohibiting Chinese laborers from coming in under the Chinese Exclusion Act."

The discussion highlights how Wong Kim Ark, despite being a cook with limited education, managed to bring his case before the Supreme Court, challenging prevailing anti-immigrant sentiments.

• Elahe Izadi [07:04]: "He was essentially helped by the Chinese American community... hiring white lawyers, prominent ones, to defend them."

The Supreme Court ultimately ruled 6-2 in favor of Wong Kim Ark, solidifying birthright citizenship:

• Norman Wong [07:47]: "We've had it squared away for 127 years. Now we want to undo it because we want to go after certain peoples. Well, we're going to start to unravel citizenship as we know it."

Trump's Reinterpretation of the 14th Amendment

[07:47 – 09:56]

The conversation shifts to contemporary challenges against birthright citizenship initiated by President Trump:

• Elahe Izadi [08:24]: "Trump's trying to prohibit birthright automatic citizenship to the children of two undocumented immigrant parents... also children born in the United States to any foreigner who's here on a temporary work, student or tourist visa."

The executive order aims to reinterpret the 14th Amendment, arguing that undocumented immigrants do not fully pledge allegiance to the U.S., thereby questioning the automatic grant of citizenship to their children.

• Elahe Izadi [09:56]: "This is the idea why most immigrants are coming. They're looking for economic opportunity, but that's why the Trump administration is doing this."

Legal Battle and Supreme Court Proceedings

[12:04 – 16:39]

After the executive order, a surge of legal challenges emerges:

• Elahe Izadi [12:04]: "A coalition of states led by Democratic governors and state attorney generals filed suit the day after Trump signed this."

Multiple lawsuits have been filed, leading to nationwide injunctions that currently bar the implementation of the order:

• Elahe Izadi [13:48]: "Legal scholars look at the birthright question as pretty lock solidly part of US Law."

The Supreme Court is now set to hear arguments on the case, focusing not only on birthright citizenship but also on the broader implications of judicial injunctions against executive actions.

Implications for Birthright Citizenship

[16:39 – 20:55]

The hosts explore the potential outcomes of the Supreme Court’s decision and its broader repercussions:

• Elahe Izadi [14:46]: "Defenders of birthright citizenship make the point that even if you take Trump's arguments at face value, that they're wrong."

If the Supreme Court sides with the administration, the implications could vary from allowing certain states to implement the ban to nationwide changes, though the practical implementation remains fraught with complexities:

• Elahe Izadi [16:50]: "How do you then implement it? How does the hospital deal with the paperwork for the children? What state do they belong to?"

Norman Wong reflects on the personal and historical significance of these legal battles:

Personal Reflections and Legacy

[20:55 – 21:03]

Norman shares his feelings about his great-grandfather’s legacy and the ongoing fight to preserve birthright citizenship:

• Norman Wong [19:23]: "Wong Kim Ark was not someone he knew until he was an adult and that he... it's not for me to own."

• Norman Wong [19:54]: "If people ask me to speak up, I'll speak up, and that's the little I can do."

Norman emphasizes that his great-grandfather’s legacy benefits all Americans, framing the struggle as a collective responsibility:

• Norman Wong [20:03]: "He said, I think it helped Americans become Americans actually. You know, so that's why I say I don't own him and I shouldn't even try."

Conclusion: Vigilance and the Future of Citizenship

Norman and the hosts conclude by underscoring the importance of generational vigilance in defending constitutional rights:

• Elahe Izadi [20:55]: "Each generation has to kind of be vigilant and sort of do its part to sort of, you know, defend what it believes is the right way to go."

The episode wraps up by highlighting the enduring relevance of Wong Kim Ark’s case and the ongoing struggle to maintain the principles of birthright citizenship in the face of political challenges.

Notable Quotes:

• Norman Wong [00:59]: "We are both Americans, but unlike him, my citizenship has never been challenged."

• Norman Wong [07:47]: "We're going to start to unravel citizenship as we know it."

• Elahe Izadi [08:24]: "Trump's trying to prohibit birthright automatic citizenship to the children of two undocumented immigrant parents..."

• Norman Wong [19:54]: "If people ask me to speak up, I'll speak up, and that's the little I can do."

Additional Resources

For a deeper understanding of Wong Kim Ark’s landmark Supreme Court case, listeners are encouraged to check the show notes, which include a link to a related episode of the Post’s podcast, Constitutional.

This summary was crafted based on the transcript provided and aims to encapsulate the key discussions, insights, and conclusions of the episode for those who have not listened to it.