Who gets to be an American citizen?

Who gets to be an American citizen?

From Throughline by NPR

April 7, 2026 · 15 min

About this episode

The episode explores the historical context of citizenship in America through the case of Wong Kim Ark.

The 14th Amendment guaranteed equal citizenship after the Civil War, but who exactly counted as a citizen? Today on the show, the story of Wong Kim Ark, a man born in San Francisco to Chinese parents, whose Supreme Court case defined birthright citizenship more than a century ago. To access bonus episodes and listen to Throughline sponsor-free, subscribe to Throughline+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/throughline . See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

Topics covered

  • citizenship
  • 14th Amendment
  • Supreme Court
  • Wong Kim Ark

Keywords

  • birthright citizenship
  • Civil War
  • Chinese Americans

Mentioned in this episode

Places: San Francisco

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