Book

Ngai, Mae M.

Impossible subjects : illegal aliens and the making of modern America / Mae M. Ngai.

Princeton, N.J. : Princeton University Press, ©2004.

xx, 377 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

"This book traces the origins of the 'illegal alien' in American law and society, explaining why and how illegal migration became the central problem in U.S. immigration policy--a process that profoundly shaped ideas and practices about citizenship, race, and state authority in the twentieth century."-- Dust jacket.

Politics and society in twentieth-century America

Politics and society in twentieth-century America.

Citizenship -- United States -- History.

Emigration and immigration law -- United States -- History.

Noncitizens -- United States -- History.

Illegal immigration -- United States -- History.

Noncitizens.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 357-368) and index.

Award: Frederick Jackson Turner Award, 2005

Berkshire Conference of Women Historians Book Prize, 2004

Lora Romero First Book Award, 2005

Introduction: Illegal aliens : a problem of law and history -- The regime of quotas and papers: The Johnson-Reed Act of 1924 and the reconstruction of race in immigration law ; Deportation policy and the making and unmaking of illegal aliens -- Migrants at the margins of law and nation: From Colonial subject to undesirable alien : Filipino migration in the invisible empire ; Braceros, "wetbacks," and the national boundaries of class -- War, nationalism, and alien citizenship: The World War II internment of Japanese Americans and the citizenship renunciation cases ; The Cold War Chinese immigration crisis and the confession cases -- Pluralism and nationalism in post-World War II immigration reform: The liberal critique and reform of immigration policy -- Epilogue -- Appendix.

Publisher description

Table of contents

2003044486

0691074712

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9780691074719

9780691124292

0691074712

51726775

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