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Colonial America
Citizenship and privileges were mostly restricted for white, male landowners, with major limitations on voting and property rights for women, enslaved people, and indigenous people. -
Naturalization Act of 1790
This statute permitted only "free white persons" to become naturalized citizens, making race a factor for US citizenship while excluding Black, Indigenous, and Asian people. -
14th Amendment
This amendment, ratified after the Civil War, provided citizenship to "all persons born or naturalized in the United States," including previously enslaved people, and was a significant step toward increasing citizenship. -
Chinese Exclusion Act
The first significant law banning immigration based on nationality, this act primarily targeted Chinese laborers and barred them from becoming citizens, demonstrating racial inequality in immigration policies. -
Indian Citizenship Act
The act granted United States citizenship to all Native Americans born inside the country's borders, years after colonial expansion devastated Native populations. -
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Bracero Program
A guest worker program brought Mexican laborers to the United States. While it created possibilities, these workers were exploited, and it highlighted Mexican immigrants' battle for fair treatment and citizenship rights. -
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Civil Rights Act (1964) & Voting Rights Act (1965)
These momentous laws prohibited racial discrimination in voting, employment, and public places, ensuring equal citizenship rights for African Americans and other minorities. -
Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965
This legislation removed nationality quotas, allowing a broader range of ethnic groups to come to the United States and seek citizenship, resulting in a much more diverse population. -
Refugee Act of 1980
Created a systematic system for admitting refugees, giving many displaced people a path to citizenship and increasing the variety of American citizens. -
DREAM Act Movements (2001 - Present)
The Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act was proposed to offer a path to citizenship for immigrants brought to the United States as minors. While it did not pass, it generated ongoing arguments about citizenship for unauthorized immigrants. This started in 2001 and has been reintroduced several times into the present day.