Semester:
Offered:
Instructor: Lila Teeters Knolle
Meeting time: Wednesday, 12:45-2:45 pm
This seminar centers citizenship as a deeply contested and dynamic status whose meanings have changed over time. Our study will begin with the historical, philosophical underpinnings of citizenship in the United States but will quickly turn to the ways that marginalized groups have contested the confines of American citizenship. We will ask: How have the rights and obligations of US citizens changed over time? Who has been able to claim citizenship, and who has been barred from it? We will evaluate how race, gender, and immigration status have affected individuals’ calls for citizenship. The course considers the history of naturalization laws, assimilation efforts, expatriation, and dual citizenship. We will also evaluate the creation, effects, and challenges to birthright citizenship policies. Along the way, we will critically analyze memoirs, naturalization ceremonies, oaths of loyalty, and legal decisions. Our study of citizenship will also include popular sources, such as children’s literature, comics, and TV shows. Lastly, we will consider those who have rejected U.S. citizenship, including Native Americans seeking to maintain tribal sovereignty and immigrants seeking economic advancement rather than perpetual allegiance.