Who is included in America and who is excluded? Who can become an American? In US history, American citizenship–what rights and benefits that citizens receive–has often been defined in opposition to how Asians were categorized as non-citizen aliens who were denied rights and inclusion. Indeed, American policies have excluded Asians by race from immigration, citizenship, and other opportunities to this day.

This chapter examines how the United States has excluded Asians from migrating and becoming American citizens, and limited their access to education, property ownership, marriage partners, and legal protections.

In this module, students will learn how the categories of race and citizenship have barred Asian Americans from holding the same rights and opportunities as whites.