A Conversation with Attorney Zhu Keliang Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s Birthright Citizenship Ruling
Born in America: Why One Supreme Court Decision Still Matters to Every Immigrant Family
A Conversation with Attorney Zhu Keliang Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s Birthright Citizenship Ruling
By Diana Ding
On June 30, the U.S. Supreme Court issued one of the most closely watched decisions of the year, leaving in place lower court rulings that continue to block enforcement of President Donald Trump’s executive order seeking to restrict birthright citizenship.
As the nation celebrates the 250th anniversary of the United States, the decision reminds us that the meaning of citizenship has never been merely a legal question.
It has always been part of America’s larger story.
The day before the ruling was announced, I sat down with immigration attorney Zhu Keliang for an interview.
He predicted that the Court would likely reaffirm the constitutional principles established more than a century ago.
The following day, that prediction proved correct.
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A Chinese American Story That Changed America
Attorney Zhu reminded me that many Chinese Americans do not realize one important fact.
The constitutional protection of birthright citizenship owes much to a landmark case brought by a young Chinese American named Wong Kim Ark.
In 1898, after being denied reentry into the United States despite being born in San Francisco, Wong challenged the federal government.
His case reached the U.S. Supreme Court.
The Court ruled that, under the Fourteenth Amendment, children born in the United States are citizens regardless of their parents’ nationality, with limited constitutional exceptions.
That decision became one of the foundations of modern American citizenship.
“It wasn’t only a victory for one Chinese American,” Zhu said.
“It became a protection for generations of immigrant families.”
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Why This Decision Matters Today
President Trump’s executive order sought to reinterpret the scope of birthright citizenship.
According to Zhu, if such restrictions had ultimately taken effect, the consequences could have extended well beyond undocumented immigrants.
Families who entered the United States legally on student visas, work visas, or other lawful immigration pathways could also have faced uncertainty regarding the citizenship status of children born in America before their parents became permanent residents or citizens.
“This is why the issue matters to so many families,” Zhu explained.
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“This Is Not Only About Illegal Immigration”
One of the most common arguments, I told him, is that these policies are intended only to address illegal immigration.
He disagreed.
Drawing on his own legal practice, Zhu described representing international students whose immigration status was unexpectedly revoked shortly before graduation.
Some had studied in the United States for years.
Some were preparing to begin careers.
Yet their legal status suddenly changed, disrupting lives built through lawful pathways.
His point was not that every immigration policy affects every immigrant equally.
Rather, he urged people not to assume that legal status alone removes all uncertainty.
“The law can affect far more people than many initially expect,” he said.
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Freedom Is a Verb
Near the end of our conversation, Attorney Zhu said something I will never forget.
“Freedom and equality are not nouns.”
“They are verbs.”
He explained that many of the rights Americans now consider fundamental did not simply appear.
African Americans fought for civil rights.
Women fought for the right to vote.
Generations of Americans used the courts, legislatures, journalism, and civic participation to expand and protect equal rights under the Constitution.
Rights endure only when citizens continue to defend them.
Otherwise, they become words written on paper.
Nothing more.
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What Should Chinese Americans Do?
I asked Zhu what he believes Chinese Americans should do at this moment.
His answer was remarkably practical.
Learn the law.
Participate in civic life.
Support leaders who are committed to constitutional principles and equal protection.
Vote.
Encourage young people to enter public service.
Because communities without representation often find themselves reacting to decisions made by others.
Communities that participate help shape those decisions.
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A Legacy Worth Protecting
As I left our interview, I kept thinking about Wong Kim Ark.
One young Chinese American stood before the highest court in the nation 126 years ago.
He was not simply defending his own citizenship.
He helped define what American citizenship means for generations to come.
This week’s Supreme Court decision reminds us that constitutional principles continue to be debated, interpreted, and defended across generations.
For Chinese Americans, this history carries special meaning.
Our community was not only shaped by American law.
It also helped shape American constitutional history.
Perhaps that is the greatest lesson of all.
Rights are inherited.
But they are also protected.
And every generation has a responsibility to understand them, value them, and help preserve them for those who come next.