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Race And Immigration, Then And Now: How The Shift To "Worthiness" Undermines The 1965 Immigration Law's Civil Rights Goals, Elizabeth Keyes
Race And Immigration, Then And Now: How The Shift To "Worthiness" Undermines The 1965 Immigration Law's Civil Rights Goals, Elizabeth Keyes
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This essay looks at how far immigration reform has come from the explicit civil rights character of the 1965 immigration law that reshaped America. The optimism surrounding that law’s dismantling of national-origins barriers to immigration proved to be overstated in the intervening decades, as the factors determining an immigrant’s “worth and qualifications” too often became proxies for race. After briefly looking at work done by critical race theorists tracing some of ways race and immigration have long intersected in immigration legal history, the article closely examines modern-day immigration reform proposals, particularly the Senate bill that remains the most complete articulation …
Defining American: The Dream Act, Immigration Reform And Citizenship, Elizabeth Keyes
Defining American: The Dream Act, Immigration Reform And Citizenship, Elizabeth Keyes
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The grassroots movement propelling the DREAM Act and immigration reform forward reveals how the definition of citizenship is undergoing a dramatic transformation, in ways both inspiring and troubling. The DREAM movement depends upon the compelling but exceptional stories of passionate, high-achieving, law-abiding youth who already define themselves as being American, and worthy of legal status. Situating this narrative in the rich literature of citizenship, the article shows how the DREAM movement effectively exposes the disjuncture between the DREAMers' identity as Americans and their lack of legal immigration status. The article celebrates how this narrative succeeds as a contrast to the …
In Defense Of Naturalization Reform Symposium: Contributions, Arnold Rochvarg
In Defense Of Naturalization Reform Symposium: Contributions, Arnold Rochvarg
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In March 1996, a Symposium was held at Georgetown University Law School on the topic of reforming the naturalization process. Participating were members of Congress, professors, immigrant rights advocates, and representatives from several public policy think tanks. This article sets forth the argument that reform in the naturalization process is necessary, and disputes the arguments that proposed reforms "dumb down" and cheapen the naturalization process.