The Legal Battle Over Birthright Citizenship

The supreme court of New Jersey recently decided that a man born in this country, though not naturalized, is a citizen and entitled to vote and hold office. The subject is an interesting one to the people of the Pacific coast for the reason that we have denizened amongst us a large number of Asiatics—Japanese and Chinese. A small percentage of these have families here. The parents, under our naturalization laws, are incapable of becoming citizens of the country. Under the decisions of the New Jersey court and of Judge Field, these Asiatic children, born of alien parentage and subjects of foreign monarchies, are also entitled to all the privileges of American citizens. It would seem that there is at least a substantial argument on the other side of the proposition, and the only way in which the law on the subject will be left free from all doubt will be a final decision of the supreme court of the United States.