How Frederick Douglass and Wong Kim Ark Helped Define Who Can Be American

Frederick Douglass escaped slavery and was a powerful voice for racial justice. In his view, the struggle for equality of the Black man also meant a fight for equality for all people. "… I want the Asiatic to find a home here in the United States, and feel at home here, both for his sake and ours. Right wrongs no man," he said in December 1869. Wong Kim Ark, who was born in the United States and barred from re-entry in 1895. He took his case to the US Supreme Court and won, paving the way for birthright citizenship for all.