Form 430 - Application of Alleged American Citizen of the Chinese Race for Preinvestigation of Status by Wong Kim Ark
7/14/1931
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With this form, Wong Kim Ark applied for preinvestigation of his status as an American citizen before he went on a trip abroad. The document is written in both Chinese and English and is addressed to the Commissioner of Immigration at San Francisco.
Wong Kim Ark was born in San Francisco in 1873. In 1894, Wong went to China for a visit. He returned to the United States in August 1895, but was denied entry by the San Francisco Collector of Customs on the claim that, although born at 751 Sacramento Street in San Francisco, Wong was not a citizen.
Wong appealed for judicial review of this decision by executive branch immigration officials. From the U.S. District Court in San Francisco, his case went through the Circuit Court of Appeals to the Supreme Court. The precedent-setting final ruling was that U.S.-born descendants of immigrants could not be denied citizenship, regardless of their ethnicity or the nationality of their ancestors.
Wong Kim Ark was born in San Francisco in 1873. In 1894, Wong went to China for a visit. He returned to the United States in August 1895, but was denied entry by the San Francisco Collector of Customs on the claim that, although born at 751 Sacramento Street in San Francisco, Wong was not a citizen.
Wong appealed for judicial review of this decision by executive branch immigration officials. From the U.S. District Court in San Francisco, his case went through the Circuit Court of Appeals to the Supreme Court. The precedent-setting final ruling was that U.S.-born descendants of immigrants could not be denied citizenship, regardless of their ethnicity or the nationality of their ancestors.
This primary source comes from the Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service.
National Archives Identifier: 18556185
Full Citation: Form 430 - Application of Alleged American Citizen of the Chinese Race for Preinvestigation of Status by Wong Kim Ark; 7/14/1931; Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, Record Group 85. [Online Version, https://docsteach.org/documents/document/application-preinvestigation-status-wong-kim-ark, September 15, 2024]Rights: Public Domain, Free of Known Copyright Restrictions. Learn more on our privacy and legal page.
