54 pages • 1 hour read
Mae M. NgaiImpossible Subjects: Illegal Aliens and the Making of Modern America
Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 2003A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Essay Topics
What role have American conceptions of identity played in issues of legal and illegal immigration? What, according to Ngai, has a supposedly “typical” American looked like in political discourse and law? Has this conception changed in the present day? Why or why not?
What were some of the assumptions and ideological motivations of interest groups that pushed for restrictive immigration policies in the aftermath of World War I? What factors in the post-war context shaped their position, and in what ways?
How have ideas about race shaped American immigration policies? What ideas about race continue to shape immigration policies today?
Analyze how Ngai depicts the idea of a “citizen” as opposed to an “immigrant” or “illegal alien.” What are the similarities and differences between these three states? In your view, how should these categories be defined and applied?
Ngai discusses the plight of both illegal Mexican workers and those who sought legal work through the Bracero Program. In what ways did these two groups face similar problems? How could such programs be reformed to ensure both legal access to American jobs and protection of workers?
Compare and contrast the treatment of illegal European and Mexican immigrants in the 1930s. How were their experiences different or similar? What factors shaped their experiences, and why?
Political ideologies and geopolitics often shape immigration policies. Analyze the case of Japanese, Chinese, and/or post-war European refugees. How did US attitudes and approaches toward these immigrants reflect wider political contexts and dynamics? Which geopolitical contexts currently shape US immigration policy, and in what ways?
Research and analyze an historical incident of racial violence and/or discrimination against legal or illegal immigrants, such as the race riots against Filipinos mentioned by Ngai or the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. How does the incident reflect racial attitudes and social tensions at the time?
Ngai argues that, contrary to popular belief, the Hart-Celler Immigration Act of 1965 did not truly address the problem of racial hierarchies. Do you agree with her assessment? Why or why not? On balance, was the law more progressive or restrictive?
What has created the problem of illegal immigration, according to Ngai? What factors, if any, has she overlooked? Analyze the alternatives she proposes to address the issue. Would they work? Why or why not?
