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You Are Not American

Citizenship Stripping from Dred Scott to the Dreamers

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You Are Not American

By: Amanda Frost
Narrated by: Dana Stoutenburg
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About this listen

Shortlisted for the Mark Lynton History Prize

Citizenship is invaluable, yet our status as citizens is always at risk - even for those born on US soil.

Over the last two centuries, the US government has revoked citizenship to cast out its unwanted, suppress dissent, and deny civil rights to all considered "un-American" - whether due to their race, ethnicity, marriage partner, or beliefs. Drawing on the narratives of those who have struggled to be treated as full members of "We the People", law Professor Amanda Frost exposes a hidden history of discrimination and xenophobia that continues to this day.

The Supreme Court's rejection of Black citizenship in Dred Scott was among the first and most notorious examples of citizenship stripping, but the phenomenon did not end there. Women who married noncitizens, persecuted racial groups, labor leaders, and political activists were all denied their citizenship, and sometimes deported, by a government that wanted to redefine the meaning of "American". Today, US citizens living near the southern border are regularly denied passports, thousands are detained and deported by mistake, and the Trump administration is investigating the citizenship of 700,000 naturalized citizens. Even elected leaders such as Barack Obama and Kamala Harris are not immune from false claims that they are not citizens eligible to hold office.

You Are Not American grapples with what it means to be American and the issues surrounding membership, identity, belonging, and exclusion that still occupy and divide the nation in the 21st century.

©2021 Amanda Frost (P)2021 Beacon Press
Civics & Citizenship Emigration & Immigration United States

Critic Reviews

“Dana Stoutenburg provides a well-paced delivery as he relates the personal stories, historical references, cultural implications, and present-day challenges. Timely and relevant, the audiobook asks vital questions about identity, connection, and power.” (AudioFile Magazine)

“A sharp history that shows the precarious nature of American citizenship.” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review)

You Are Not American could not be more timely in its exploration of ‘citizenship stripping’ in American history. Through lively chapters exploring particularly illuminating examples, Frost exposes how the US government has used the power to expatriate those it considers not fully ‘American’ to discriminate and exclude based on race, religion, marital status, or viewpoint. Compelling reading.” (Caroline Fredrickson, author of The Democracy Fix)

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