Wong Kim Ark was born in the United States. and in 1894. he decided that he would travel to China. Upon returning from China in 1895. he was denied entrance into the United States. Wong Kim Ark was denied entrance into the United States because of the Chinese Exclusion Act. This act was one that was passed to prevent Chinese Americans from having ingress and egress into this country if you were not a citizen. of course. The 14th Amendment to the Constitution became the subject of his reentry into the country because when they declared him ineligible to return to the country. it was because they were saying he was not a citizen. notwithstanding the fact that he was born in California. But if you read closely the 14th Amendment to the Constitution. you will find that it reads: "All persons born or naturalized in the United States. and subject to the jurisdiction thereof"-that is some key language. "and subject to the jurisdiction thereof"-"are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside." There were some persons who thought that the term "and subject to the jurisdiction thereof" meant that since their parents were the subjects of the Emperor of China. he could not be a citizen of the United States of America. This case went all the way to the Supreme Court of the United States of America. and it was all because of the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. The Supreme Court did the judicious thing. They ruled in his favor that he was a citizen of the United States of America.
Keywords matched
Chinese Exclusion naturalized