Who Can Become American? | The History of White People in America, Ep 6
Special | 5m 30sVideo has Closed Captions
Catchy, musical short chronicles the 175-year-long arbitrary system of race in America.
This catchy, musical short chronicles the arbitrary system of race in the United States, which kept people who were not white in an ongoing battle of identity. See how immigrants had to play "race roulette" with a biased court system due to the Alien Naturalization Act of 1790, which set the standard for citizenship in America and remained law for 175 years.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
Who Can Become American? | The History of White People in America, Ep 6
Special | 5m 30sVideo has Closed Captions
This catchy, musical short chronicles the arbitrary system of race in the United States, which kept people who were not white in an ongoing battle of identity. See how immigrants had to play "race roulette" with a biased court system due to the Alien Naturalization Act of 1790, which set the standard for citizenship in America and remained law for 175 years.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship(audience ambience) - I apologize that you have to wear those masks.
You see, for centuries, America has used caricature to define that skin that you're in.
Don't take it personally.
Just play the game of race roulette.
- [Director] Quiet on set.
Go.
- (clears throat) All right, here we go.
(piano melody) The Naturalization Act was among the first laws Congress passed, signed by George Washington on March 26th, 1790.
It said only a free White person may be admitted to become a citizen of the United States.
One of our first laws made American citizenship an exclusive White-only club.
But what is White?
For a while, it's a roll of the dice.
(dice roll) Come now, come now, come now.
Place your bets.
The game is roulette.
You're playing for your citizenship!
(crowd cheering) (chuckles) Yes.
Place your chips and try your luck.
Let's see who's White enough to be American.
♪ It's the race roulette ♪ ♪ Go ahead and play a bet ♪ ♪ But what you get may not be what you expect ♪ ♪ It's the (mimics record scratch) race roulette ♪ ♪ Are you White enough to be American yet ♪ ♪ Give me your tired your poor huddled masses ♪ ♪ yearning to breathe free ♪ ♪ Cheers it's the United States Casino ♪ ♪ Here all men are created equal ♪ ♪ Unless of course you're Black, Native, Asian, Arab or Latino ♪ ♪ It wasn't immigrants it was African innocents ♪ ♪ Who were stolen in slave ships ♪ ♪ And denied their citizenship ♪ ♪ The climate was red hot in Missouri were men fought ♪ ♪ In 1857 this is the story of Dred Scott ♪ ♪ The Supreme Court defined that a citizen's rights ♪ ♪ Are denied to anyone who wasn't visibly White ♪ ♪ The decision made black skin un-American ♪ ♪ And immigrants would later suffer similar plights ♪ ♪ The jackpot was reserved for the WASP ♪ ♪ I know it's stings, but the house always wins ♪ ♪ No matter the cost ♪ ♪ The upper hand belonged ♪ ♪ To white Anglo-Saxon Protestant men ♪ ♪ Who could govern and own land ♪ ♪ But for everyone else it's the race roulette ♪ ♪ Go ahead and place a bet ♪ ♪ But what you get may not be what you expect ♪ ♪ It's the (mimics record scratch) race roulette ♪ ♪ Are you White enough to be American ♪ ♪ Isn't it ironic White people came here with illegal ♪ ♪ Stole the land and said that all men were created equal ♪ ♪ Many indigenous couldn't become citizens ♪ ♪ Because they weren't White ♪ ♪ Like the cheapest chips in the casino ♪ ♪ In 1868 Black people played a role ♪ ♪ In making all Americans whole ♪ ♪ The 14th Amendment granted citizenship ♪ ♪ To all persons border naturalized in the US, hooty hoo ♪ ♪ But alas some White people weren't sold ♪ ♪ 1882 put Chinese immigration on hold ♪ ♪ In 1886 the Statue of Liberty insists ♪ ♪ Give me all your tired, poor, huddled immigrants ♪ ♪ This is what we call a hypocrite ♪ ♪ You arrived on Ellis Island ♪ ♪ Rolled the dice and placed a bet ♪ ♪ Changed your name and all of a sudden ♪ ♪ In a couple generations you forget ♪ ♪ That your ancestors came here on a ship ♪ ♪ It's the race roulette ♪ ♪ Go ahead and play a bet ♪ ♪ But what you get may not be what you expect ♪ ♪ It's the (mimics record scratch) race roulette.
♪ ♪ Gambling with Whiteness it'll leave you in debt ♪ In the 20th century, citizenship became a battle in the courts.
Your fate was in the hands of a judge.
Did he think you were White enough to be called American?
It was a role of the ball in the life or death game of race roulette.
♪ It was the courts that decided who was right ♪ ♪ When a Japanese man named Ozawa tried to naturalize ♪ ♪ And fight for his citizenship ♪ ♪ Yeah his skin was kind of light ♪ ♪ But an Asian isn't Caucasian, you ain't White ♪ ♪ Chinese you ain't White ♪ ♪ Hindis you ain't White ♪ ♪ Syrians some White, some not, it ain't right ♪ ♪ Yemenis, you ain't White, Saudis you ain't ♪ ♪ Wait you're White ♪ ♪ It's all a gamble and the roll of the dice ♪ In 1920, an unmarried woman, only if she were deemed White could become a naturalized citizen.
Indigenous Americans were not granted citizenship until 1924, although they were still, by law, not considered White.
That same year, the federal government radically limited migration from Eastern Europe and banned all immigration from Asia.
Only in the 1940's did they allow Filipinos, Chinese, and Indians to immigrate and become naturalized US citizens.
But in total, only 305 per year could come.
It wasn't until 1952 with the economy booming during the Cold War and more workers were needed that Congress removed race as a barrier for citizenship.
All quotas were finally abolished by the Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1965.
So for those of you who believe yourselves to be White, yellin' "Go back to your country," just remember your ancestors came from.
How about that?
♪ Ooh ah ♪ ♪ Mm ♪ ♪ Mm ♪ ♪ Mm ♪ ♪ Ooh aah ♪ ♪ Mm ♪
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