ERIC HUNG, Music of Asian America Research Center
PROPOSAL TYPE
Working Group
SEEKING
- Seeking General Feedback and Interest
- Seeking Additional Presenters
RELATED TOPICS
- Museums/Exhibits
- Public Engagement
- Social Justice
ABSTRACT
I am interested in creating a working group or panel on how to discuss citizenship in museum/archives exhibits and historic sites. I want to share ideas about how we can open conversations with physical and virtual visitors about what citizenship is.
DESCRIPTION
I am interested in creating a working group or panel on how to discuss citizenship in museum/archives exhibits and historic sites. I am particularly interested in this topic right now because my organization is starting to think about our programming leading up to the 100th anniversary of the Bhagat Singh Thind decision in February, 2023. This Supreme Court decision led many South Asian Americans to lose their citizenship, and had a significant effect on the first school desegregation case to get to the Supreme Court.
I want to share ideas about how we can open conversations with physical and virtual visitors about what citizenship is. Some of the key questions are:
- What does citizenship include?
- Who grants citizenship in everyday life?
- Who should have the right to grant citizenship in everyday life?
- What are our responsibilities in safeguarding citizenship?
- What rights and responsibilities should non-citizens have?
- What are some effective ways we can use to open these difficult conversations?
Given current circumstances, I have not had an opportunity to write a full description. I am just looking for additional panelists and general feedback.
My preference is to do this as a working group, but I am open to other formats.
If you have a direct offer of assistance, sensitive criticism, or wish to pass along someone’s contact information confidentially, please get in contact directly: Eric Hung, Music of Asian America Research Center, [email protected]
ALL FEEDBACK AND OFFERS OF ASSISTANCE SHOULD BE SUBMITTED BY JULY 6, 2020. If you have general ideas or feedback to share, please feel free to use the comments feature below.
Hi Eric, the topic of citizenship is very timely. Of course 2020 is a major election year, but what will 2021–when you’ll be presenting this working group/panel–look like? Are we in the midst of a recession of citizenship rights or an expansion of those rights? Many museums are hesitant to engage in a key citizenship benefit, voter registration efforts, for fear of being too “political,” but others embrace their civic role. When 2021 arrives, and the pandemic recedes (hopefully!), will historic sites and museums be emboldened, or will they be cautious for fear of losing what little funding remains in our field? And what does citizenship even look like in the midst of a pandemic? These are just some questions that I’d love to see this proposal wrestle with.
Thank you for the comment, Annie. Issues of citizenship are of course hugely relevant to the incarcerated population. So, I am wondering if you, one of your colleagues, or someone who works at another historical prison be interested in joining the working group?
Let’s chat off thread. I’ll email you!
I’m excited by the prospect of this. The Thind decision calls to mind two others that are decided at about the same time and are also important (I teach them together): Ozawa and Cartozian. All have to do with determining who can become a naturalized citizen, all come out of the 1920s, and Thind and Cartozian have strong ties to Oregon (and, of course, all consider who gets to count as white). Using the anniversary of the Thind decision could open up interesting conversations about citizenship that are important today. I think it could be particularly helpful in illuminating how race and citizenship are legally constructed. It would also be interesting to incorporate a gender lens by thinking about how marriage affects citizenship status.
Thank you so much for your comment, Katrine. Yes, I completely agree that the Ozawa, Cartozian and Thind decisions are closely related. Would you be interested in joining the working group?
I think that this could be a very powerful working group. I would encourage you to think about racial formation and how it played out in the Thind case, as Katrine mentioned, but also about the idea of birthright citizenship. Good luck!
Several issues regarding the racism and sexism of US citizenship come to mind: 1. Asian Americans deemed “aliens ineligible for citizenship” (though some did slip through), 2. the rescinded promise of citizenship for Japanese (and presumably other Asian Americans) who fought in World War I), 3. the Cable Act, which revoked citizenship for women who married “aliens ineligible for citizenship”, including Japanese Americans marrying Japanese immigrants, 4. children of American GIs ineligible for citizenship because the parents weren’t married, or the father did not meet the residency requirements (having been overseas in combat), and 5. Native Americans only becoming citizens in 1924.