For over a century, deportation and exclusion have defined
eligibility for citizenship in the United States and, in turn, have
shaped what it means to be American. In this broad analysis of
policy from 1882 to present, Deirdre Moloney places current debates
about immigration issues in historical context. Focusing on several
ethnic groups, Moloney closely examines how gender and race led to
differences in the implementation of U.S. immigration policy as
well as how poverty, sexuality, health, and ideologies were
regulated at the borders.
Emphasizing the perspectives of immigrants and their advocates,
Moloney weaves in details from case files that illustrate the
impact policy decisions had on individual lives. She explores the
role of immigration policy in diplomatic relations between the U.S.
and other nations, and shows how federal, state, and local agencies
had often conflicting priorities and approaches to immigration
control. Throughout, Moloney traces the ways that these policy
debates contributed to a modern understanding of citizenship and
human rights in the twentieth century and even today.