Calling All Denizens is a participatory research project that facilitates conversations, workshops, and programs, which aim to cooperatively imagine the new political practice of denizenship as an alternative to citizenship. “Denizen,” derived from the Latin deintus, literally means “from within,” but has historically referred to foreign residents who are granted limited rights where they reside. Calling All Denizens explores the notions of “from within” and “from without” as they pertain to the nuances of citizenship, sovereignty, migration, exile, and diaspora. In response to a history of race-based exclusion from citizenship and identity-erasing assimilation in the U.S., this project gives rise to a more compassionate, ethical, and genuine vision of a liberated society.

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, honoring the individuals who questioned the racialized nature of American citizenship. This artist’s book is formatted as a toolkit for those wish to further the aims of Calling All Denizens, and consists of a xerox-printed resource book, workshop plan, letterpress-printed manifesto, pencil, and a screen-printed flag. 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.

Book Price: $625
Shipping: $75 (S/H + insurance)
Total: $700.00