25 Years of Asking Questions: Who Belongs in America?

About this event

Who belongs in America? And who decides? From Ellis Island to today’s debates over immigration and citizenship, questions of inclusion and exclusion have long shaped the nation’s identity. Inspired by Korematsu v. United States, this program explores how fear, race, and national security have influenced who is recognized as fully “American.” In his dissent, Robert H. Jackson warned of the dangers of allowing racial discrimination under the Constitution. Join us for a timely conversation on citizenship, national identity, and the constitutional boundaries of belonging. This lecture is part of our 25 Years of Asking Questions lecture series. We are thankful to the Southern Chautauqua Federal Credit Union for sponsoring this series. Southern Chautauqua Federal Credit Union, supporting individuals and organizations who also impact, empower, and achieve within our community. About the Speaker Robert L. Tsai is Professor of Law and Harry Elwood Warren Memorial Scholar at Boston University School of Law, where he teaches constitutional law, presidential leadership, and individual rights. For the 2024–2025 academic year, he serves as the Laurance Rockefeller Visiting Faculty Fellow at Princeton University’s University Center for Human Values. A leading scholar of constitutional culture and democratic development, Professor Tsai’s work explores how legal ideas shape political life, particularly in areas such as inequality, popular sovereignty, and institutional design. He is the author of four books, including Demand the Impossible: One Lawyer’s Pursuit of Equal Justice for All (2024). Additionally, Professor Tsai’s scholarship has appeared in leading law reviews and his commentary has been featured in outlets such as The New Yorker, The New York Times, NPR, and MSNBC. A frequent public speaker, he has delivered Constitution Day lectures at institutions across the country, including the National Archives and the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. He is a…