Wong Kim Ark was born in San Francisco’s Chinatown. His parents had come to the United States from China in search of a better life. Immigrants worked hard in many capacities–keeping shops, becoming farmers, helping to build our nation’s transcontinental railroad. Having been born in the United States, Wong Kim Ark was truly an American. But then the country passed a law that said no more Chinese immigrants could enter America; also, Kim Ark’s parents could never become citizens, hold particular jobs or be safe from prejudice. Discouraged, they returned to China but Kim Ark chose to stay in America. After visiting his parents later in China (his first time there), Kim Ark was not allowed to reenter the United States even though he was an official citizen, and he was unjustly imprisoned. With help from people who cared about his situation, he was freed, but his citizenship status was not yet settled. Kim Ark’s case went all the way to the U. S. Supreme Court. Justices considered the 14thAmendment, ratified on July 9, 1868, which declared anyone born in the United States is a citizen; they also considered what his Chinese heritage could mean regarding his allegiance to country. After a year of debate, the Court ruled that Kim Ark was indeed a citizen. That 1898 decision has had a profound effect on the right of American-born people to be lawful citizens, though it does not ensure that American-born Chinese and others are free from racial prejudices. This true story–of Wong Kim Ark’s determination to certify his American citizenship against many odds–is inspiring. The non-fiction picture book I Am an American: The Wong Kim Ark Story is gracefully told by Martha Brockenbrough and Grace Lin. Illustrations by Julia Kuo reflect Kim Ark’s journey in every detail, with additional details contained in a timeline and afterword. Readers are given many things to think about regarding yesterday and today’s attitudes about immigration and citizenship. Indeed, what does it mean to be a citizen in our United States democracy? Ages 5-9. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2021.
We sometimes hear the story that a woman named Betsy Ross sewed the first American flag, with thirteen red and white stripes and thirteen stars in a circle on a blue field, not unlike the colors and design elements of our national flag today. But did she do that? The book series entitled “Fact VS Fiction in U. S. History" demonstrates for readers that: “History is not set in stone. It has a way of changing over time depending on who is telling the story.” In this volume of the series (Betsy Ross and the U. S. Flag), author Danielle Smith-Llera asks many questions and presents primary sources (such as paintings and written correspondence from the period) to help readers think knowledgeably about the history of our flag. Betsy Ross was an upholsterer and made many flags in her workshop, but was she asked by members of the Continental Congress (the government of the thirteen colonies) to make a flag representing the new government? Ross told her family that she did meet with George Washington, commander of the Continental Army that secured American independence. Her story was affirmed by her relatives years later, but there is no historical proof of that happening. When Ross’s grandson told the story about his grandmother making the flag, it was published widely, and even school books included Ross’s association with the original flag. Intriguing clues to a variety of facts about the flag’s design and construction are presented throughout the book, inviting readers to consider various occasions and evidence. It is concluded that “the flag, like the Revolution it presents, was probably the work of many hands.” A glossary and additional sources of information are appended, including an excellent website: The History of the American Flag. View the series Facts VS Fiction in U. S. History Ages 8-11. Capstone Press, 2021.
