Author: Jane Lilly López

Jane Lilly López is Assistant Professor of Sociology at Brigham Young University. Her research interests include citizenship (as both a legal status and a lived experience/identity) and the effects of law in the public and private realms of everyday life. 

Discussant: Irene I. Vega

Irene I.Vega is Assistant Professor of Sociology at the University of California, Irvine. Her research uncovers the cultural and moral rationalities that shape immigration law implementation. More broadly, her work examines socio-legal processes in international migration, racial/ethnic group formation, and educational inequality. This research has been published in Social Problems, Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, and American Behavioral Scientist, among other venues. 

What does it mean for all individuals living in the United States to have the universal right to marry but with no guarantee to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness with one’s spouse within the borders of the United States? The US Supreme Court has confirmed the universal civil right to marry, guaranteeing every couple's ability to wed. But the Supreme Court has denied that this right to marriage includes married couples' right to life together on US soil, creating a challenge for mixed-citizenship couples whose individual-level rights do not translate to family-level protections. While US citizens can extend legal inclusion to their spouses through family reunification, they must prove their worthiness and the worthiness of their love before their relationship will be officially recognized by the state. In this talk, I will focus on the basic conflict mixed-citizenship families pose to the modern state and the consequences of the current US laws designed to negotiate this conflict. As we consider the family-level consequences of individual-based rights and restrictions, I will argue for a rethinking of citizenship as a family affair.