Impossible Subjects

Mae Ngai's "Impossible Subjects" explores the origins and development of the concept of the "illegal alien" in American law and society, revealing how immigration restrictions from the 1920s shaped ideas of citizenship, race, and national borders. Through detailed historical analysis and extensive archival research, Ngai examines how policies created new categories of racial difference and established the "illegal alien" as a legally excluded, rightsless subject, influencing contemporary debates on multiculturalism and national identity.