Table of Contents

ForewordIntroductionPart I. Defining America1. The Western European New World and The New Americans2. The Undesirable Asian3. "Translate This": The 1917 Literacy Law4. The Xenophobic 1920sPart II. Redefining America5. The 1952 Act: Excluding Communists, Homosexuals, and Other Undesirables6. 1965 to 1990: From Discriminatory Quotas to Discriminatory Diversity VisasPart III. Defining Mexicans As Non-Americans7. Politicizing the Southwest Border8. Patrolling the Border and Sweeping for Mexicans9. Irca: Penalizing Employers, as Amnesty Barely Survives10. The Dark Side of Modern-Day Enforcement: Operation GatekeeperPart IV. Deporting and Barring Non-Americans11. Removal12. The Politics of AsylumEpilogue: Two AmericasAppendixNotesIndex

Promotional Information

From the American Revolution to the war in Iraq, the struggle to define who is--and can become--an American

About the Author

Bill Ong Hing is Professor of Law and Asian American Studies at the University of California, Davis. His previous books include To Be an American: Cultural Pluralism and the Rhetoric of Assimilation and Making and Remaking America through Immigration Policy.

Reviews

"It adds to the literature on the history and the policies of immigration, immigration law, the field of American studies, as well as to the study of different ethnic groups. Hing provides an outstanding comprehensive perspective of immigration policies since their enactment." Journal of Policy Practice "extensively detailed," The Historian "This book provides a provocative and timely analysis of how the evolution of U.S. immigration policy reflects an enduring struggle over who ought to be embraced into full membership in the social, economic, and political life of the nation. Overall, Hing has succeeded in crafting a powerful account. It is an important contribution whose significance cuts across disciplinary lines." The Journal of American History "Read this book. It is the best survey of the history of U.S. immigration policy to be published in at least a half-century and perhaps ever . . Defining America through Immigration Policy is a dazzling book with a moral core. In the end it is a hopeful book as well." Pacific Historical Review "This is a welcome, hard-headed palliative to certain narratives about US immigration History - .the value of this book lies more in the scope of erudition about US immigration history and his mastery of many facets of that vast, complex, and controversial history that has indeed defined America as claimed." Ethnic and Racial Studies "[an] insightful, entertaining book [is] a must read for anyone interested in the field of US immigration and the defining of the American character." Choice "Hing carefully traces immigration law and policy, and, more importantly, practice, to demonstrate a continuing patter of excluding some potential immigrants. Defining America Through Immigration Policy makes a convincing and provocative argument that immigration policy has been used as a tool to reinforce notions of who is within the sphere of American identity.[it] offers a rich history of immigration law and policy that demonstrates that the United States is not a nation of immigrants." Political Science Quarterly "Professor Hing is the rare policy scholar who can provide extensive historical information while making it accessible, interesting and enjoyable for the reader. His new book provides the same type of thoughtful analyses. Overall the book makes an important contribution to immigration history, ethnic studies and public policy. It provides one of the first comprehensive reviews of the tensions between wanted and unwanted immigrants from a policy perspective. It also provides insights into why we hold certain beliefs about immigrants and immigration policy." Journal of Ethnic History "[Hing's] understanding of history, drawn from personal experience and participation, is piercing and helps to put the recent hysteria in perspective. In his book, he applies the lessons of his decades-long research and experience to fundamental issues at a critical time in our nation's history." --from the Foreword by Anthony D. Romero, Executive Director, American Civil Liberties Union "Defining America through Immigration Policy is an excellent book that can be recommended enthusiastically. Bill Ong Hing is a leading scholar of immigration. This book is a landmark work. Hing is thorough, and covers everything from Benjamin Franklin's attacks on German immigrants to the nativism of the turn-of-the-century directed towards Asians, Southern and Eastern Europeans, Catholics and Jews to contemporary border enforcement, undocumented migration, deportation procedures, and internal migration. He conveys the breadth and depth of his research with ample documentation and presents progressive arguments that should influence policy-makers." --Frank H. Wu, Professor of Law, Howard University, and author of Yellow: Race in America Beyond Black and White "Engagingly contemporary (with historical roots) and at the same time carefully detailed in its coverage, Defining America through Immigration Policy is on the forefront of immigration law and policy theorizing. Hing's structure is straightforward, and his framework for organizing the wide range of immigration law issues is effective. He tells a compelling and disturbing social/legal story that gives human faces to congressional acts, executive policies, and frontline enforcement. Hing's blended approach--chronological, contextual, and specific--provides a readily accessible way into what could otherwise be an information morass. This significant strength distinguishes Defining America through Immigration Policy." --Eric K. Yamamoto, Professor of Law, University of Hawaii School of Law