Wong Kim Ark was born in San Francisco in 1873 to parents who had emigrated to the United States from China. In 1894, he took a trip to China. When he returned to San Francisco a year later, he was denied reentry, as the authorities invoked the Chinese Exclusion Act. Wong argued that he could not be denied admission because he was born in this country and therefore was an American citizen. The Supreme Court ruled in Wong Kim Ark’s favor, holding that, pursuant to the Fourteenth Amendment, Wong Kim Ark was a U.S. citizen, even though his parents were “subjects of the Emperor of China.” On January 20, 2025, shortly after being sworn in, President Trump signed an Executive Order restricting birthright citizenship. Litigation immediately followed.

The Fourth Annual Fall Symposium of the Center on Asian Americans and the Law at Fordham Law School will present a two-part program on birthright citizenship. First, we will tell the story of Wong Kim Ark, a Chinese cook who took his case to the United States Supreme Court in 1898. Second, a distinguished panel will explore the issues presented by the recent Executive Order.

Speakers

Hon. Denny Chin, Senior Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
Lawrence W. Pierce Distinguished Jurist in Residence,
Fordham Law School
Co-Director, Center on Asian Americans and the Law

Professor Thomas Lee, Leitner Family Professor of International Law,
Fordham Law School
Co-Director, Center on Asian Americans and the Law

William Powell, Senior Counsel,
Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection at Georgetown Law

Lucy E. Salyer, Professor, History Department,
University of New Hampshire