American Immigration and Citizenship: A Documentary History

(Hardback)

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Description

One of the most contentious issues in America today is the status of immigration. American Immigration and Citizenship shows that this issue is far from new. In this book, John Vile provides context for contemporary debates on the topic through key historical documents presented alongside essays that interpret their importance for the reader. The author concludes that a highly-interconnected world presents no easy answers and offers no single immigration policy that will work for all time. The book includes a mix of laws, constitutional provisions, speeches, and judicial decisions from each period. Vile furthermore traces the interconnections between issues of citizenship and issues of immigration, indicating that public opinion and legislation has often contained contradictory strains. Although the primary focus has been on national laws and decisions, some of the readings clearly indicate the stakes that states, which are often affected disproportionately by such laws, have also had in this process.

Reviews

These approximately 85 primary sources dated 16082016, soundly selected by political scientist Vile, offer an array of important laws, amendments, cases, treaties, and speeches concerning immigrants and the path to citizenship. The work's glossary, time line, and index are handy. * CHOICE *
"John Vile provides a valuable contribution to the discourse on immigration and naturalization issues. The book compiles primary source documents on the subject from colonial times to Donald Trumps Ill Build a Wall. The synthesized and annotated documents present the legal and constitutional arguments, both pro and con, on the complex subject of immigration and citizenship policy. Its features include a timeline, a handy glossary, a selected bibliography, and an index. It is highly recommended for immigration scholars, for the general public, and for high school and college or university libraries." -- Michael C. LeMay, author of Doctors at the Borders: Immigration and the Rise of Public Health
Against an international discourse over immigration most noted for its rhetorical vehemence and emotion, Professor John Vile offers an impressive historical record of U.S. governmental policies, judicial decisions, and executive pronouncements surrounding questions of citizenship and immigration. We better understand arguments contrary to our ownthereby creating wiser policies for the futurewhen we root our analysis and advocacy as a response to the choices of the past. This book helps articulate a shared history around which more productive debate can occur." -- Michelle D. Deardorff, Professor and Department Head, Political Science and Public Service, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
"This outstanding, well-chosen collection of documents couldnt be timelier. It deserves widespread and serious attention wherever the current, contentious debate on immigration takes place in this country: in the political arena, in community forums, in classrooms, and in legislative bodies. Dr. Vile has provided thoughtful citizens - both those seeking elected office and those exercising their vote - with all the material they need to deliberate wisely on what always has been, and always will be, a complex issue with no easy solutions." -- Donald H. Whitfield, Vice President for Community and National Programs, The Great Books Foundation

Author Bio

John R. Vile is a Professor of Political Science and Dean of the University Honors College at Middle Tennessee State University. He has written extensively on matters related to the U.S. Constitutional Convention of 1787, the U.S. Constitution and its amendments, the constitutional amending process, early U.S. political history, and related topics. His previous books for Rowman & Littlefield include Essential Supreme Court Decisions: Summaries of Leading Cases in U.S. Constitutional Law (16th ed), The Writing and Ratification of the U.S. Constitution, A Companion to the United States Constitution and Its Amendments (5th ed.), and The Men Who Made the Constitution.