Conditional Citizens: On Belonging in America

A continuing debate about citizenship is determining who can become a citizen. Are there any restrictions on citizenship that could be justified? Identify at least three contemporary restrictions placed on citizens, and discuss whether these constraints are justified.

Lalami grieves the terrorist attacks that America faces but acknowledges a secondary grief over their impact on public perception of Muslim and Arab people. How can society try to relieve this secondary grief? How can similar grievances experienced by other groups that are often held accountable for the actions of individuals within their identity group be resolved?

Many of the incidents that Lalami describes could be considered microaggressions, or minor behaviors and expressions that reveal an underlying bias. One example is the man in the airport who eyes her suspiciously when she speaks Arabic. Identify other microaggressions in the book, as well as others that you have seen or even performed, and discuss their creation of conditional citizenship.

One of the biggest challenges in Lalami’s text is the call for white people to take account of past injustices and move forward toward equality. The past cannot be rewritten, but there are many ways that everyone can advocate for and improve disadvantaged communities. How does Lalami address this challenge, and what steps can be taken to address disparities across races?

Loyalty is a key element of citizenship in Lalami’s text, but the demand for loyalty placed on immigrants, especially Arab immigrants, is oppressive. How do you define patriotism, and how does this mesh with attitudes presented in the book? Does allegiance to one’s country necessarily mean that one has to agree with everything that country does? Are there any decisions or actions by your country that you disagree with? Why or why not?

Lalami points out the common perception that the “war on women” is being fought largely in other countries, especially those in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. How does Lalami show the issues women face in America? How might the discussion be reframed to focus on national issues?

Christine Blasey Ford’s and Anita Hill’s testimonies were rejected by the nomination committees for Brett Kavanaugh and Clarence Thomas. Lalami cites multiple examples in her own life of the doubt cast on women who come forward with accusations of sexual assault and harassment. What kinds of advocacy can help support and further the claims of women who have experienced these attacks, and what in society pushes women to hide their stories? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.

Intersectionality is an important concept across the collection, but it can be a complex and challenging topic to address. How could you identify yourself in a way that helps to understand intersectionality? When you think about categories of identity, do any stand out as linked to other categories regarding the issues in the text, such as risks of assault, harassment, or illegal detention and search?