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"SUPREME COURT FAVORED CHINESE" A headline from an article in the David City News (David City, Nebraska) announcing the Supreme Court's ruling in the case (June 30, 1898). The headline reads: "SUPREME COURT FAVORED CHINESE. The Exclusion Act Is a Violation of the Constitution and Is Void. A MOST IMPORTANT FINDING. None Since the Famous Dred-Scott Case So Far Reaching. IT MAKES MANY CITIZENS. Fourteenth Amendment Provides That Mongolian Children Born In this County Are Citizens." This headline captures the significance of the ruling in United States v. Wong Kim Ark; however, it incorrectly claims that the decision rendered the Chinese Exclusion Act void. In reality, the exclusion act was extended for another ten years in 1902 and made permanent in 1904. It was not repealed until 1943. The ruling only exempted native-born Chinese Americans from being excluded under the act.
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"CALIFORNIA—THE CHINESE AGITATION IN SAN FRANCISCO—A MEETING OF THE WORKINGMEN'S PARTY ON THE SAND LOTS" This illustration by H. A. Rodgers was published on page 41 of the March 20, 1880, issue of Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper. It depicts a mob gathering at the "sand lots" in front of San Francisco's city hall on July 23, 1977. The meeting was intended to show support for the labor movement and workers who were striking for better work conditions in the Eastern United States. Although not the direct targets of the gathering, anti-Chinese sentiments can be seen on the signs of some of the attendees. Many incorrectly blamed the Chinese for the loss of jobs caused by the economic depression. The meeting gave rise to the San Francisco riot of 1877, which continued for two days and took the lives of four Chinese men (Brekke; Frost 45).
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"DECISION MAKES A PRECEDENT" A newspaper article in the San Francisco Chronicle on July 19, 1904, that details Secretary of the Department of Commerce and Labor Victor H. Metcalfe's inaccurate interpretation of the ruling in United States v. Wong Kim Ark.
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Sworn Departure Statement of Wong Kim Ark, November 5, 1894 Signed by Wong Kim Ark, this document affirms that he was born in and is a citizen of the United States. It confirms that he took a trip to China in 1890 and was allowed re-entry "on the grounds that he was a citizen of the United States." Note: there is a discrepancy regarding Wong's birth year. Documents like this and Wong's application for a writ of habeas corpus list his birth year as 1870, while the Supreme Court case lists Wong's year of birth as 1873, which would have made him 21 years of age in November 1894. It is unclear which year is correct or why there is a discrepancy in the birth year reported for Wong.
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Wong Kim Ark Form 430, October 17, 1913 This item is Form 430, an Application of Alleged American-born Chinese for Preinvestigation of Status. This application was submitted by Wong Kim Ark and is addressed to Samuel W. Backus, the Commissioner of Immigration in San Francisco. Following his successful court case, Wong would take at least three other trips to China, one after October 17, 1913, one after July 22, 1931, and one at age 62 in the early 1930s. Form 430 initiated an investigation into Wong's citizenship status, which granted him re-entry to the United States after his trip overseas.
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Wong Kim Ark c. Prior to Wong's 1894 Trip to China Identification Photograph of Wong Kim Ark that was filed with the Immigration Service in San Francisco prior to his 1894 trip to China. The document was included in the "U.S. District Court-San Francisco Admiralty (Habeas Corpus) Case 11198."