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University of San Francisco

Challenging Notions of U.S. Citizenship: The Contributions of Mexican Americans

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

<p>The United States has always been a nation of immigrants, in which the idea of “citizenship” has had very strong intrinsic values, and has divided those who “have it” from those who “don’t,” since the first legal construction of such categories in 1790. Longstanding contradictions, characterized by ceremonies awarding citizenship to some and laws of exclusion, deportation, and forced removal for others, have embodied U.S. approaches to citizenship, and created a dichotomy between “citizen” and “alien.” This Master's Thesis will initiate a discussion and reformulation of what it means to be a citizen in the United States, and more importantly what it means for those who do not have access to this title and the privileges that go along with it, such as Mexican immigrants and Mexican Americans.</p>

Degree

thesis:*
Name thesis:degree_name
Master of Arts in International Studies
Level thesis:degree_level
Thesis
Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
International Studies
Year dc:date.available
2011

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Kirby, Tracy E
Contributors dc:contributor
  • Dorothy Kidd

Subjects

dc:subject × 7

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
Repository record dc:identifier
https://repository.usfca.edu/thes/6
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:repository.usfca.edu:thes-1005

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
University of San Francisco
Base URL
repository.usfca.edu/do/oai/
Last updated
2026-07-24
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
citation

Kirby, Tracy E. Challenging Notions of U.S. Citizenship: The Contributions of Mexican Americans. Thesis thesis, 2011. https://repository.usfca.edu/thes/6