It’s a question as old as the country itself — and one that has been asked, debated, redefined, and, at times, weaponized across generations.
Right now, former President Donald Trump has reignited this question by pushing a narrower, more exclusionary definition of American identity. In 2025 alone, he has suggested revoking birthright citizenship, advocated for the deportation of green card holders and individuals with Temporary Protected Status (TPS), and introduced ideological tests for immigrants — moves that challenge both constitutional norms and historical precedent.
🔗 Read more on the 14th Amendment and birthright citizenship
A Founding Debate That Never Ended
From the earliest days of the republic, Americans have wrestled with who gets to belong. The Founding Fathers, though flawed and often exclusionary in practice, debated the nature of citizenship as a civic, not ethnic, bond.
In the Federalist Papers:
- Alexander Hamilton (Federalist No. 1) called for a nation built on “reflection and choice” rather than birthright or bloodline.
- John Jay (Federalist No. 2) described Americans as “knit together” by shared government and ideals.
- James Madison (Federalist No. 10) envisioned a republic capable of managing the interests of a diverse population.
From the Reconstruction Amendments after the Civil War to the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, the trajectory of American citizenship has been toward inclusivity — not the reverse.
🔗 Overview of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 – USCIS
Citizenship as a Political Weapon
Trump’s efforts to revoke naturalized citizenship or punish dissenting voices, like Rosie O’Donnell, represent a dangerous turn: using citizenship as a loyalty test to himself rather than to the Constitution.
This isn’t just bad policy — it’s a direct challenge to the idea that American identity is based on allegiance to democratic principles, not ethnic ancestry or political alignment.
A Fringe Idea Goes Mainstream
More troubling is how these views are migrating into the GOP mainstream. In a speech at the Claremont Institute — a think tank known for far-right constitutional interpretations — Vice President JD Vance echoed the idea that deeper ancestral roots make one “more American.”
This contradicts the founding ideal: that anyone, regardless of origin, can become an American by participating in its civic life and affirming its values.
History Repeats — and Pushes Forward
This is not the first time the definition of Americanness has been under siege:
- In the 1800s, Irish and Italian immigrants were vilified as unfit for American society.
- In the 20th century, Black Americans fought brutal, systemic injustice while demanding the rights they were born with.
- Today, immigrants at our borders are being portrayed as threats, even as they pursue the same promise — freedom, opportunity, and justice.
And every time the circle of citizenship expands, there’s backlash. But history also shows: progress wins.
The Real Test of Citizenship
So, what does it mean to be American?
It’s not about birthplace or lineage — it’s about belief.
- Do you believe in democracy?
- In equal protection under the law?
- That leadership must be earned, not inherited?
If the answer is yes, then whether you were born in Brooklyn, Port-au-Prince, or Caracas, you belong. That is the American story.
Let’s remember that — and say it out loud — because there is power in affirming it, hope in living it, and danger in forgetting it.
✍️ Originally published on MSNBC.com