American Citizenship

Examines American citizenship as a legal, political, and social status that has been contested and reshaped over time. Moving beyond the idea of citizenship as simply immigration status or possession of a passport, the course explores modern theories of citizenship alongside the history of unequal membership in the United States. Topics include racialized citizenship, gender and sexuality, religion, disability, Indigenous and tribal citizenship, immigration, and the precarious nature of citizenship itself, including citizenship stripping and loss. Students explore how American law and politics have defined citizenship, structured exclusion, and created unequal forms of belonging over time.