# I Am an American: The Wong Kim Ark Story - Hardcover

by **Martha Brockenbrough** (Author), **Grace Lin** (Author), **Julia Kuo** (Illustrator)

**An ALA Notable Book for Children  
Winner of the Woodson Award**

**_He challenged the Supreme Court on his right to be called citizen--and won_**

When American-born Wong Kim Ark returns home to San Francisco after a visit to China, he's stopped and told he cannot enter: he isn't American. What happens next would forever change the national conversation on who is and isn't American. After being imprisoned on a ship for months, Wong Kim Ark takes his case to the Supreme Court and argues any person born in America is an American citizen.

_I am an American: The Wong Kim Ark Story_ is an important picture book that introduces young readers to the young man who challenged the Supreme Court for his right to be an American citizen and won, confirming birthright citizenship for all Americans.  

### Author Biography

**Martha Brockenbrough** is the author of many books for young readers. he teaches at Vermont College of Fine Arts, blogs for the Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators, and founded National Grammar Day. She has worked as a newspaper reporter, a high school teacher, and as editor of MSN.com.

  
**Grace Lin** is the award-winning and bestselling author and illustrator of _Starry River of the Sky_, _Where the Mountain Meets the Moon_, _The Year of the Dog_, _The Year of the Rat_, _Dumpling Days_, and _Ling & Ting_, as well as picture books such as _A Big Bed for Little Snow_ and _A Big Mooncake for Little Star_ Grace is a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design and lives in Massachusetts. Her website is www.gracelin.com.

  
**Julia Kuo** is a Taiwanese-American illustrator who has worked with the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Google. She also illustrated _The Sound of Silence_. Julia has taught illustration courses at Columbia College Chicago and at her alma mater, Washington University in St. Louis. She was the visual arm of Chicago's 2017 March for Science and has had the honor of being an artist-in-residence at Banff Centre for the Arts in 2014 and in 2017.  
Julia is currently the recipient of a 2019-2021 Gray Center Mellon Collaborative Fellowship at the University of Chicago.

**Number of Pages:** 40

**Dimensions:** 0.4 x 9.59 x 10.67 IN

**Illustrated:** Yes

**Publication Date:** November 23, 2021

**Accelerated Reader:**

**Quiz Name:** I Am an American: The Wong Kim Ark Story

**Interest Level:** Lower Grades, K-3

**Reading Level:** 4.1

**Point Value:** 0.5

## Details

- **Price:** 18.99 USD
- **Vendor:** Books by splitShops
- **Type:** Books
- **Tags:** Books by splitShops, Shopify Collective

## Variants

| Variant | Price | Available |
|---------|-------|-----------|
| Default Title | 18.99 USD | In stock |

## Images

- I Am an American: The Wong Kim Ark Story - Hardcover

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> Updated: 2026-07-23