LibGuides: Engaging Diverse Voices through Research &amp; Resources: Citizenship

Key Definitions

Citizenship

Citizenship is formal membership in a polity. Every political system governs the meaning, processes, and requirements of citizenship, and every citizen decides the values that will most influence his or her civic identity and judgments. A key and controversial theme of American governance, citizenship has legal, philosophical, and moral dimensions. In democratic, self-governing societies such as the United States, citizens are collectively sovereign and individually enjoy certain rights, assume certain duties, and are free to define their roles as citizens according to their interests, means, and values.

Source: Immigration and Migration: In Context

Immigration

Immigration is the act of moving from one's home country to another nation with the intention of settling there permanently. Immigrants may or may not become citizens of their new countries of residence. In the United States, immigrants may become naturalized citizens or obtain permission to remain as legal "permanent" or "conditional permanent" residents. People in the country without permission are considered unauthorized immigrants.

Source: Gale Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection

Undocumented Immigrants

Undocumented immigrants enter and stay in a country outside of official legal channels. This can include crossing a border outside of authorized points of entry or overstaying a legal temporary visa. Preventing illegal entry and enforcement of laws against undocumented immigrants is a highly charged political issue in the United States.

Source: Immigration and Migration: In Context

Historical Context

U.S. Census & Data Collection

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, “The foreign-born population is composed of anyone who is not a U.S. citizen at birth. This includes persons who have become U.S. citizens through naturalization. Everyone else is counted among the native-born population, which comprises anyone who is a U.S. citizen at birth… or abroad to a U.S. citizen parent or parents.” The Census Bureau offers definitions, data tables and datasets about the U.S. foreign born population.

Offensive and/or Outdated Terminology

When using historic documents, researchers need to be aware of the language and terminology used within the publications. Much of the language in these documents is outdated and harmful, and while it is seen as socially inappropriate, many government documents continue to use this language today. Below, there is some context for the language and how the language has evolved into the terms we currently use.

The term “alien” is seen in most government documents from the year 1790 to present (in many states).This term is not currently an appropriate term to refer to these individuals. California, Colorado, and New York are some of the states that have begun to take action to remove the word “alien” from their labor codes. In 2021, The Biden Administration began to seek the change of the word “alien” to “non-citizen” in recognition of the negative connotations behind the word. Currently the term most commonly used is “immigrant”.

The term “illegal” is a word that is still used to describe immigrants who have not yet obtained legal status. This term is not currently an appropriate term to use to refer to these individuals. Referring to individuals as “illegal”, places blame on the individual for an issue that is systematic. The discourse surrounding this change raises the question of the “legality” of the first settlers immigration. Currently the most commonly used term is “undocumented”.

Keyword Suggestions

Keep in mind that many words that were commonly used in the past have since become outdated or even offensive. You may encounter these outdated terms in your research, and you may even need to use them in your own searches in order to get a complete view of your topic, especially if your topic is historical in nature. However, please be careful about using these words yourself, especially if you do not identify as part of the community that you are researching.

Terms marked with an asterisk (*) are considered offensive by some people and should only be used for self-identifying or quoting someone who explicitly self-identifies using that term.

Click on the terms below to see related keywords.

immigrant