A new book by acclaimed author and Brooklyn College Associate Professor of Political Science and Herbert Kurz ’41 Chair in Constitutional Law and Civil Liberties Anna O. Law, Migration and the Origins of American Citizenship, is being on March 24, arriving at a pivotal moment as immigration dominates the national political conversation. Published by Oxford University Press after 16 years of research and reporting, it debuts as the U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear oral arguments on birthright citizenship on April 1, with a decision expected in June, Law’s work provides essential historical context for understanding the legal and political stakes of these contemporary debates. Synthesizing local and federal laws, congressional floor debate records, and the monographs of other scholars, Migration and the Origins of American Citizenship traces the evolution of citizenship through laws encouraging or restricting the mobility and ability to stay of different populations. The account is a major reinterpretation of conventional narratives about the origins and meaning of American citizenship. Additional information about the book, including an Author Q&A, is available on the book’s website. Law has also published op-eds based on the book, including a concise piece addressing the historical foundations of birthright citizenship in Time.
