Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 10/01/2021 K-Gr 4—Wong Kim Ark was born in San Francisco in 1873 and knew he was an American. He had never lived anywhere else. Then the Chinese Exclusion Act passed in 1882, hindering immigration, job opportunities, and eventual citizenship for Chinese people in the United States. Violence toward Chinese people became even more commonplace, and Ark's parents went back to China. After visiting his family in China, Ark was detained from entering the country, despite being born in America. He won the lawsuit in San Francisco to be freed, but this did not apply to the U.S. government, so he brought the case to the Supreme Court. His victory guaranteed citizenship to all of those born in the U.S. This detailed picture book biography introduces readers to a historical figure who changed birthright citizenship laws. The digitally rendered artwork fills each spread, and its detailed imagery gives insight into life in San Francisco's Chinatown in the late 1880s and early 1900s. Endpapers include an 1885 neighborhood map of Chinatown, outlining Chinese-occupied, white-occupied, and vacant areas, to give a clearer picture of the city's population. Back matter features photos and a time line starting with 1849, when the first large group of Chinese immigrants began to settle in the U.S., to the 1965 Immigration and Naturalization Act. VERDICT An important picture book biography to augment classroom conversations about immigration and citizenship.—Kristyn Dorfman, Friends Academy, Locust Valley, NY - Copyright 2021 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 01/01/2022 This book brings to life the sights and sounds of San Francisco’s Chinatown in the late 1800s, including illustrations that present the bustling neighborhood with trams, street food, and red lanterns. Unfortunately, that appealing setting is also the backdrop for a story about harsh discrimination. Wong Kim Ark was born in Chinatown to parents who emigrated from China. When he grew up, he worked a humble job as a cook, but a bigger destiny awaited. Once, upon returning from a trip to China, he was denied entry back into the U.S. and imprisoned for being Chinese—even though he was a citizen, born on American soil. His case went all the way to the Supreme Court, which ruled in his favor, ensuring citizenship for anyone born on U.S. lands. Wong Kim Ark’s story is a little-known piece of Asian American history yet indispensable to any young reader learning about immigration and being a citizen. It’s also extremely timely in its portrayals of anti-Asian sentiment, which has flared up amid the COVID-­19 pandemic. - Copyright 2022 Booklist.