Defining America: Through Immigration Policy (Maping Racisms) [Paperback]

Bill Ong Hing (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1592132332 | ISBN-13: 978-1592132331 | Publication Date: December 29, 2003 | Edition: 1

From the earliest days of nationhood, the United States has determined who might enter the country and who might be naturalized. In this sweeping review of US immigration policies, Bill Ong Hing points to the racial, ethnic, and social struggles over who should be welcomed into the community of citizens. He shows how shifting visions of America have shaped policies governing asylum, exclusion, amnesty, and border policing. Written for a broad audience, "Defining America Through Immigration Policy" sets the continuing debates about immigration in the context of what value we as a people have assigned to cultural pluralism in various eras. Hing examines the competing visions of America reflected in immigration debates over the last 225 years. For instance, he compares the rationales and regulations that limited immigration of southern and eastern Europeans to those that excluded Asians in the nineteenth century. He offers a detailed history of the policies and enforcement procedures put in place to limit migration from Mexico, and indicts current border control measures as immoral. He probes into little discussed issues such as the exclusion of gays and lesbians and the impact of political considerations on the availability of amnesty and asylum to various groups of migrants. Hing's spirited discussion and sophisticated analysis will appeal to readers in a wide spectrum of academic disciplines as well as those general readers interested in America's on-going attempts to make one of many. Bill Ong Hing is Professor of Law and Asian American Studies at the University of California, Davis. His previous books include "To Be an American: Cultural Pluralism and the Rhetoric of Assimilation" and "Making and Remaking Asian America through Immigration Policy".

Editorial Reviews

Review

"It adds to the literature on the history and the policies of immigration, immigration law, the field of American studies, as well as to the study of different ethnic groups. Hing provides an outstanding comprehensive perspective of immigration policies since their enactment." Journal of Policy Practice "extensively detailed," The Historian "This book provides a provocative and timely analysis of how the evolution of U.S. immigration policy reflects an enduring struggle over who ought to be embraced into full membership in the social, economic, and political life of the nation. Overall, Hing has succeeded in crafting a powerful account. It is an important contribution whose significance cuts across disciplinary lines." The Journal of American History "Read this book. It is the best survey of the history of U.S. immigration policy to be published in at least a half-century and perhaps ever . . Defining America through Immigration Policy is a dazzling book with a moral core. In the end it is a hopeful book as well." Pacific Historical Review "This is a welcome, hard-headed palliative to certain narratives about US immigration History - .the value of this book lies more in the scope of erudition about US immigration history and his mastery of many facets of that vast, complex, and controversial history that has indeed defined America as claimed." Ethnic and Racial Studies "[an] insightful, entertaining book [is] a must read for anyone interested in the field of US immigration and the defining of the American character." Choice "Hing carefully traces immigration law and policy, and, more importantly, practice, to demonstrate a continuing patter of excluding some potential immigrants. Defining America Through Immigration Policy makes a convincing and provocative argument that immigration policy has been used as a tool to reinforce notions of who is within the sphere of American identity.[it] offers a rich history of immigration law and policy that demonstrates that the United States is not a nation of immigrants." Political Science Quarterly "Professor Hing is the rare policy scholar who can provide extensive historical information while making it accessible, interesting and enjoyable for the reader. His new book provides the same type of thoughtful analyses. Overall the book makes an important contribution to immigration history, ethnic studies and public policy. It provides one of the first comprehensive reviews of the tensions between wanted and unwanted immigrants from a policy perspective. It also provides insights into why we hold certain beliefs about immigrants and immigration policy." Journal of Ethnic History "[Hing's] understanding of history, drawn from personal experience and participation, is piercing and helps to put the recent hysteria in perspective. In his book, he applies the lessons of his decades-long research and experience to fundamental issues at a critical time in our nation's history." --from the Foreword by Anthony D. Romero, Executive Director, American Civil Liberties Union "Defining America through Immigration Policy is an excellent book that can be recommended enthusiastically. Bill Ong Hing is a leading scholar of immigration. This book is a landmark work. Hing is thorough, and covers everything from Benjamin Franklin's attacks on German immigrants to the nativism of the turn-of-the-century directed towards Asians, Southern and Eastern Europeans, Catholics and Jews to contemporary border enforcement, undocumented migration, deportation procedures, and internal migration. He conveys the breadth and depth of his research with ample documentation and presents progressive arguments that should influence policy-makers." --Frank H. Wu, Professor of Law, Howard University, and author of Yellow: Race in America Beyond Black and White "Engagingly contemporary (with historical roots) and at the same time carefully detailed in its coverage, Defining America through Immigration Policy is on the forefront of immigration law and policy theorizing. Hing's structure is straightforward, and his framework for organizing the wide range of immigration law issues is effective. He tells a compelling and disturbing social/legal story that gives human faces to congressional acts, executive policies, and frontline enforcement. Hing's blended approach--chronological, contextual, and specific--provides a readily accessible way into what could otherwise be an information morass. This significant strength distinguishes Defining America through Immigration Policy." --Eric K. Yamamoto, Professor of Law, University of Hawaii School of Law

From the Publisher

From the American Revolution to the war in Iraq, the struggle to define who is—and can become—an American

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Product Details

• Paperback: 376 pages
• Publisher: Temple University Press; 1 edition (December 29, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1592132332
• ISBN-13: 978-1592132331
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 7.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #297,941 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Defining Amerika, August 15, 2011

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John Nava (Chula Vista, CA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Defining America: Through Immigration Policy (Maping Racisms) (Paperback)

DEFINING AMERICA THROUGH IMMIGRATION POLICY by Law Professor Bill Ong Hing, is divided into two parts. The first part is a general history of immigration and legislation concering immigration from the late 1700's through the post-quota era of the 70's and 80's and the September 11th fall-out. The second part deals mostly with clandestine border crossers from Mexico and other parts of Latin America.

The first part is a little dry and repetitive with information already covered in part in such books as CIVIL RIGHTS IN IMMIGRATION by Milton Konvitz (Cornell, 1952) and Oscar Card in NATIONALISM & RACE IN AMERICA (Anchor Books, 1957). However, Professor Hing does provide some info not included in these other books.

The second part is more exciting, covering the 1986 amnesty bill and Operation Gatekeeper with brief detours to former Nazi collaborators, John Lennon's case and Iranian students during the hostage crisis. One excellent argument Professor Hing makes here is how the US spends more and more money on the "War on Drugs" Crusade to little effect while repeating the same mistake on human smuggling and clandestine crossings. (A libertarian irony is how many Americans favor legalized drugs--or at least decriminilization of marihuana, but tighter punitive measures on the border for clandestine crossings. Rand Paul, for instance.) He also, surprisingly, points out the "morality" of certain US border-enforcement policies--namely, the Clinton-initiated "Gatekeeper." True, this point may be subjective to a degree and difficult to argue for, but it is comforting to hear older liberals and progressives still use the word "moral" and "morality." Another example, would be when one of the producers of the documentary film, AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH was making his acceptance speech for an Academy Award, he referred to global warming as a "moral issue" as opposed to a mere environmental one. The reason I point this out is that both conservatives and liberals relegate morals and morality to mere sexual ethics, when in reality it is much more than just that. My own opposition to the Death Penalty, for example, is a moral choice and has ABOSULUTELY NOTHING to do on whether it serves as a deterrant or not or even out of fear of executing the wrong person.

A final note is that the book could have used better editing or at least have been more tightly written. However, it still remains a very much recommended book.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Immigration Policy, January 12, 2007

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S. Lady "calledbyGod2teach" (Reno, NV) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Defining America: Through Immigration Policy (Maping Racisms) (Paperback)

Provacative. Lots of information. The author has a definite voice and opinion. Wonderful for building a knowledge base about America's history of immigration.