We Do Not Want Our Girls To Marry Foreigners Summary

How does one define who is “American?” The term “American” is referred to a person who is a native or citizen of the United States. For hundreds of years, individuals from all over the world came to the United States of America to live a new and improved life. However, the influx of these international individuals caused uproar among the citizens of the United States, which would redefine the identity of an American citizen both legally and culturally. The legal aspect of American citizenship plays a major role on how the country and the people view the identity of who is “American.” The process by which people can become citizens of the United States was first defined when Congress ratified the Nationalization Act of 1790. The Nationalization

In Ann Marie Nicolosi’s article, “We Do Not Want Our Girls to Marry Foreigners”, she examines the Expatriation Act of 1907. She explains that the Expatriation Law of 1907 “codified derivative citizenship” for American women, meaning that a woman’s citizenship was defined by her husband’s citizenship. For example, if a woman with an American citizenship were to marry a Japanese or French man, her American citizenship would be revoked (Nicolosi 1). She states that the Expatriation Law of 107 used women’s citizenship “as a strategy of immigration restriction”, which prevented tampering with the genetic white population in America and prevent the increase of foreigners to become American citizens (17). In the article, “Is This a White Country, or What?” Lillian Rubin discusses how race and the economy are factors on the identity of an American. Rubin states that American citizens worry about immigrants, “fearing that they would corrupt our society, dilute our culture, and debase our values (Rubin 119).” The fear of cultural diversity and the growing industrial diversity would put Americans “at a disadvantage” and create a fine line between the immigrants and the American