By Jessica Huey* It was the worst day of his life. That was all he would ever say about it. Looking at black and white photos of my great-grandfather, the stoicism etched in his expression is impossible to ignore. But to understand his story—that of a quiet, Japanese merchant who came to America with his wife to start a new life in the early 1900s—it becomes clear the extent to which living in America, filled with its golden grain and promises, also took its toll on him. Like millions …
Problems of Perception: Unintended Effects of the Immigration Ban on Military Recruitment
By William Denn* Like many Americans, I was deeply troubled by Hameed Khalid Darweesh’s detention at New York’s JFK airport on January 28th. Darweesh, a former U.S. military interpreter from Iraq, who received a special immigrant visa (SIV) on January 20th, was detained due to the recent travel ban affecting seven Muslim-majority countries. The action bans travel for 90 days and suspends all refugee admission for 120 days. Darweesh, who was later released with help from the ACLU, expressed …
LAURENCE TRIBE: The Trumpet Summons Us Again: A Post-Election Call To Action
I remember well how I felt as dawn broke the morning after Barack Obama’s election as president in 2008. My hopes were boundless, my expectations unrealistic. That President Obama did not succeed in mobilizing the deeply transformative political dynamic I dared to anticipate is no doubt true, especially in light of this year’s election results. But looking back, I remain enormously proud of my former student and chief research assistant. Obama achieved great things both domestically and …