Calling All Denizens is a participatory research project that facilitates conversations, workshops, and programs that aim to cooperatively imagine the new political practice of denizenship as an alternative to the notion of citizenship. “Denizen,” derived from Latin deintus, literally means “from within.” Building on this historical meaning, Calling All Denizens partners with individuals and organizations to explore the notions of “from within” and “from without” as they pertain to the nuances of citizenship, sovereignty, migration, exile, and diasporas. Calling All Denizens aims to give rise to a more compassionate, ethical, and genuine vision of a society that holds its denizens dear.

This is the trade copy of the Resource Book which was originally published by the Women’s Studio Workshop and compiles the research and writing that frames the broader social project. Largely inspired by White by Law: The Legal Construction of Race by Ian Haney Lopez, this book delves into the history of immigration and naturalization policy in the U.S., focusing on racial prerequisite laws which limited citizenship to “free white aliens” until 1952. It includes summaries of the 52 court cases that challenged these laws.

The book is formatted as a toolkit for those wish to further the aims of Calling All Denizens, and consists of a workshop plan, and manifesto.The workshop plan is designed to facilitate expansive conversation and learning around the exclusive and racialized history of citizenship and may be reproduced for educational purposes. - Press Press