Jill Lepore on What It Means to be an American Citizen

In this episode, we are diving into the At Liberty archive and returning to a conversation with historian Jill Lepore. We are on the brink of a once-in-a-generation change: Congress is considering a plan to create a pathway to citizenship for up to 8 million people. This September, the ACLU is urging Congress to pass a reconciliation package which includes a path to citizenship for Dreamers, Temporary Protected Status holders, farmworkers, and other essential workers. But what does it mean to be an American citizen? And how did we get here, to a place and a time when we deny so many the ability to become an American? These are the questions that Jill Lepore explores in her book, “These Truths” which tells the story of how our nation has evolved from its origins. Jill is a professor of American history at Harvard, a staff writer at The New Yorker, and a prolific thinker and writer on history and contemporary politics. In this conversation, Jill speaks to former At Liberty host Lee Rowland. We hope you enjoy this conversation.