Conditional Citizens: On Belonging in America by Laila Lalami

Conditional Citizens: On Belonging in America Reviews

• 
  Roxane

  A formidable essay collection about identity, citizenship, and the arbitrary borders imposed by white supremacy. Exceptionally well written and researched. Very timely.
• 
  luce (tired and a little on edge)

  ❀
  blog ❀
  thestorygraph ❀
  letterboxd ❀
  tumblr ❀
  ko-fi ❀
  
  Drawing from her own experiences as a Moroccan immigrant living in the States, in Conditional Citizens: On Belonging in America Laila Lalami presents us with an impassioned and thoughtful social commentary. With piercing clarity, she touches upon Islamophobia, xenophobia, racism, and sexism. She reflects on the many flaws and conditions of citizenship, specifically American citizenship, and on the many ways, it fails people. I truly appreciated the way she discusses topical and oh so important social issues, and the lucidity of her arguments: from discussing the way citizenship is equated with whiteness, white privilege and white fragility, racial profiling, borders, racist rhetorics and the vilification of immigrants, inhumane legislations, the notion of ‘assimilation’, belonging, etc. Throughout this collection of essays, Lalami raises many thought-provoking points and makes many illuminating observations. While Lalami does discuss other people’s experiences, often providing statistics or citing specific incidents/events, her own personal experiences inform much of her writing, which makes it all the more affecting. I admired the way she would attempt to relate to the kind of people I personally would write off as c*nts while also fully acknowledging how frustrating a position she is often made to be in (that of educating bigoted people).
  While she does write about subjects that are ‘American’ specific, such as applying for citizenship in America, the issues underlying her essays should not concern exclusively an American readership. Although I did gain insight into processes I am not familiar with, throughout this collection Lalami delves into topics that will undoubtedly resonate with many readers outside of the States.
  
  My only quibble is that some of her essays could have integrated a more intersectional approach. For instance, while Lalami does include 'asides' discussing gender inequality and #metoo, she barely acknowledges lgbtq+ related issues.
  Curiously enough this is another case where I find myself liking the non-fictional work of an author whose fiction I low-key did not get on with…I would definitely recommend this one and I am determined to read (and hopefully like) Lalami's The Moor's Account.
• 
  Elyse Walters

  Audiobook....
  excellent!!!! Love the author!!!
  
  Laila covered many topics —
  An excellent look at becoming a citizen ...
  I found the nitty gritty details fascinating...
  Our daughter immigrated to Canada and went through similar things.
  
  Lailia’s personal story of reading Huckleberry Finn to her daughter ( and their mother/ daughter discussion), was moving and compelling - I listened to that part twice — Mark Twain’s purpose of Huck’s relationship with Tom.
  
  The $450 a month rental with ‘fleas’... was gripping ...
  Her ‘fainting’ in a coffee shop made me want to hug and feed Laila —- I SERIOUSLY LIKE THIS WOMAN!!!!
  
  I loved her novel “The Moors Account”.... and it was a treat to listen to her essays. Such a lovely well written- valuable and enjoyable book.
  
  She covers a lot of relevant topics... personal stories....
  including a work situation of TOTAL INJUSTICE....
  Fired for having INTEGRITY....
  I wanted to kick the guy in the balls!!
  
  A co- worker who was sexually assaulted,
  
  She wrote about rape, poverty, class, injustice, teaching, book tours, voting, blacks, immigration from many aspects, Bush, Trump, being an American from Morocco
  
  Loved this short audiobook...
  and I’ve much admiration and respect for Laila Lalami!
  
  
• 
  Kathleen

  Does U.S. citizenship ensure that society and the Government will treat you equally to other citizens? Lalami has written a series of insightful essays exploring that question. Lalami was raised in Morocco; but pursued graduate studies in the U.S. She eventually fell in love and married a U.S. citizen and became a naturalized citizen herself in 2000. After studying American civics for her naturalization test, she was struck by the disparity between the ideal she was taught, and the reality of being an immigrant, a woman, an Arab, and a Muslim.
  
  I was unaware that border patrol agents rely on 136 checkpoints that are up to 100 miles inside of U.S. borders to stop and question people they may feel are not citizens. Not many citizens carry around the documents proving their citizenship. So not surprisingly, hundreds of U.S. citizens are wrongfully arrested and held in immigration jails. And even persons with citizenship are not treated equally. Black and Latinx citizens face greater scrutiny from police and more severe punishment for the crimes they commit compared to white citizens. Markers of identity (not only race, but gender, LGBT sexual orientation, or even religion) impact the respect and treatment they receive.
  
  Recommend these well-written essays.
• 
  Lupita Reads

  CONDITIONAL CITIZENS is a collection of essays that explores what it means to belong in America when you’ve become a naturalized citizen. It unveils the privileges of citizenship while also pointing at all the instabilities of it for someone who doesn’t “look” American. It’s a call to action for a necessary and radical shift in what society views and deems acceptable for who fits into the definition of American. It’s probably one of the most potent books about citizenship that I have read. It’s one of those books I wish could be required reading for every single American.
• 
  Siria

  Conditional Citizens is a beautifully written, clear and concise look at what it is to be a naturalised American citizen whose relationship with her adopted country is fraught, interspersed with some truth-telling about the ways in which the racism and gender discrimination embedded in contemporary U.S. society makes citizenship conditional for so many. I can't help but feel that the kinds of people who most need to read this book are, however, the least likely to do so.
• 
  Jessica

  Thanks to the publisher for this free review copy.
  
  Incredible incredible incredible book. A must read!
  
  “It is because I love America that I cannot be quiet about her faults. The price of my belonging cannot be my silence”
  
  “Sometimes, I wonder what this county might look like if no one had to go bankrupt because of medical costs; no one had to be made homeless because of low wages; and no one had to go into debt to receive an education. I don’t think that’s a particularly radical thing to imagine.”
  
  Conditional Citizens is one of the best books I’ve read in 2020. It blew me away. I listened to the audiobook but went back to the physical copy and highlighted basically every page.
  
  Lalami shares her observations and personal experiences about what it means to belong in America, and she contrasts and compares it with her upbringing in Morocco. Each essay tied really well to the overall fact that all citizens do not enjoy full freedoms in this country. She expertly balanced her personal experiences with cultural observations and academic references to support her statements.
  
  The topics discussed aren’t particularly new or revelatory, but the way in which she frames each issue on what freedom should look like really focused on what it means to be treated as a conditional citizen in your own country. Where the poor are blamed for their circumstances, where nonwhites are policed and punished and disproportionate rates, where voter suppression is prevalent, Muslims are treated with suspicion, systemic racism harms the Black community, where Latinx folks are at a greater risk of being profiled and detained, and on and on. She writes, “Each year, hundreds of U.S. citizens are wrongly held in immigration jails, where they have to wait for months, and in a few cases years, to go before a federal judge.”
  
  What I appreciated most was the last chapter where she describes what an equal society would look like. Where women are believed, the right to vote is universal, body autonomy for all, the right to education, healthcare, religion, basic standards of living, and more are enjoyed by everyone. It’s not radical to want these basic things for ALL Americans and we have to stop framing it as such!
  
  If you’re a fan of nonfiction that explores the dynamics of race, immigration, gender, and class in America, definitely pick this one up. I’d also recommend this as a complement to The Undocumented Americans, as both have a similar style of slapping you with truth bombs on every page.
• 
  Rebecca

  Listened to the audiobook.
  
  I wanted to like this so badly. I think it’s great that there are so many facts laced in her memoir. It’s a very well researched book. But man, there’s was very very little touching on the privilege the author had in her path to citizenship.
• 
  Paige

  U.S. citizenship is a birthright for some and a pillar of the American Dream for others. Those who are born with it may take it for granted, but plenty of immigrants dream of the day they will become official citizens. They jump through hoops to fulfill requirements and pass a test—all with the end goal of the naturalization ceremony: that one moment they can stand in front of their fellow country men and women and say “now I’m one of you.” But, as Laila Lalami discovered when she emigrated from Morocco, even fulfilling all the requirements of citizenship can’t guarantee the same rights and protections for everyone in this country.
  
  New this September from Pantheon, “Conditional Citizens: On Belonging in America” by Pulitzer Prize-finalist Laila Lalami offers the literary world an intimate look into what it’s like to become an American, and indeed what it means to be an American at all. This book neatly straddles the line between memoir and essay, mounting a topic that has always been poignant, but is even more relevant to the wider political and humanitarian conversation in the US in 2020. For readers searching for pertinent non-fiction, this is a must read.
  
  At the time of the founding of the U.S., the full rights of citizenship were only afforded to white male landowners. Over the years, amendments, laws, and the slow evolution of culture have extended more and more of the privileges of citizenships to women, people of color and those too poor to own land, but these little half-steps forward have failed to present equality for all even today. Lalami, a muslim woman who was raised in a comparatively poor family, has never fit the image of a citizen that the founding fathers had in mind. Upon arriving in the U.S. as a student, she didn’t even know which box to check for race when asked if she was black or white in the demographic portion of a standardized test.
  
  She discusses issues of race, class, religion, sexuality and gender, citing specific ways in which each can act as a barrier to keep specific groups of people for achieving the American Dream. She exposes systems of oppression in ways that can be eye-opening to those who have been lucky enough to avoid them in their own lives. She skillfully weaves tales of personal struggles with events that have made national or even international headlines over the last few decades. Perhaps the most remarkable part of this book is that it manages to expose so many systems of suppression and maltreatment without losing hope. Not every American was invited to take place in the conversations that built these systems, but, as Lalami demonstrates by writing this book, maybe we can all have a hand in reshaping the country we want to live in.
  
• 
  Denise

  Powerful and extremely well written, this essay collection explores the disparity between being a US citizen and being treated equally and feeling like one belongs, grounded in the author's own experience of becoming a naturalized citizen in 2000 and what that has meant for her in subsequent years, especially in light of changing attitudes in the wake of 9/11. But she goes far beyond her own story as well, touching on many different ways in which anyone who doesn't belong to the straight white male category faces some manner of discrimination or other that renders them in some way conditional citizens, for whom equality exists only on paper if at all. While Lalami looks specifically at the US, much of what she writes about applies equally across the Western world.
• 
  Becky

  My hold on this came in and so I snagged it to listen to on my walks and man, is it good. Very insightful and honest. Definite recommended reading if you're at all interested in an immigrant's perspective on becoming American. And since so many people equate "immigrant" with "illegal immigrant", this book discusses what it means to be an immigrant, an outsider, an "other" even when they do everything right and become a citizen legally.
  
  It was a fascinating and blunt look at the ways that America chooses who it is, and who it wants to be, who is allowed to be part of it, and all of that curation is often cruelly counter to the stated exceptionalism that we claim.
  
  Another highly recommended book.
• 
  Sarah Cavar

  A brilliantly written, approachable, and even poetic –– yet still rigorous and well-researched –– meditation on migration and belonging. Lalami contends with a complicated relationship to place, language, and movement, as well as the historical legacies of Arab/Muslim racialization in the u.s. and beyond. The blend of personal narrative/memory and metanarrative of history worked beautifully because Lalami locates her own personal experience inside this historical metanarrative, not separate form it.
  
  This is a unique book in that it can be read as lyrical creative nonfiction and also feasibly cited as a resource in more academic arenas –– Lalami certainly wasn't trying to produce peer-reviewed scholarship here, but her extensive academic training shined through with the seriousness with which she approached analyzing her life.
• 
  Jyotsna

  Actual Rating: 4.8 stars
  
  Conditional citizenship is characterized by the burden of having to educate white Americans about all the ways in which one is different from them.
  
  Laila Lalami, a naturalized citizen of the United States, talks about how immigrants are treated as second class citizens in the country. An interesting take on institutionalised racism, citizenship and sexism in her home country. Brownie points for the well thought, well written points.
  
  However, the book is pretty much US centric and talks about racism in the West, especially in the US, hence not a complete 5 ⭐ from my side.
  
  Read for the Quarterfinals of the Booktube Prize 2021, this one made it to the Semifinals.
  
  Ranking - 4th (out of 6 books)
  
  (For more insight, please watch the video on my YT channel)
• 
  Sanjida

  I didn't really learn anything new to me here. But I'm rounding this memoir/meditation on identity and belonging to a 4 because I felt so seen by the author. Reading this felt good to my soul.
• 
  Samantha

  4.5 stars
  
  I'm really impressed with how concise and well-structured this book is. Each chapter circles a different aspect of immigration (borders, assimilation, caste) and combining research and personal narrative, Lalami expertly explains the nuance and complicated nature of coming to America. I continue to be astounded by how little white people here (of all political persuasions) understand about the immigration process. You do not just pop over, answer some questions, and obtain citizenship! It often takes years, decades, and even after that, expectations of immigrants are high and they often face injustices that make it hard to succeed, hard not to still feel othered.
  
  Because of my background, much of this wasn't new to me, but it's necessary reading for everyone.
• 
  Caroline

  Nothing new if you’ve been paying attention. If you haven’t you’re unlikely to choose it.
• 
  Katie

  A fantastic essay collection, highly recommend. Shoutout to my sister for her great taste in Christmas gifts
• 
  Paul

  Hi, Miss Lailami. Thanks for agreeing to meet me for lunch. I hope you don't mind, but I took the liberty of ordering couscous as an appetizer. Should be here in a minute.
  
  First of all, excellent book. I love your novels, but as it turns out, you're pretty good at . . I don't want to say "non-fiction," that's too broad a category. Since you're arguing a point, it's an essay; since you're reporting a fact, it's journalism; since you've done so much research, it's scholarship. So the term "non-fiction" says nothing and everything at once. You're a linguist, so you have a better grasp on the inadequacies of genre labels more than I do.
  
  If I'm being honest, though, I felt more affirmation than amazement at your work. You and I agree on pretty much every major point, so you're the kind of public intellectual I'm going to cite in arguments. Don't get me wrong, you're providing a valuable service. But it seems like you've provided a new name, "conditional citizenship," for the inequality that we both recognize. It's an interesting idea, but not a radical one. That said, I love the fact that you pointed out the difference between "expatriates" and "migrants." Brilliant insight.
  
  And I'd like to dispute a couple of minor points, if I may. You're 100% right that it's hard to discuss "whiteness" or "white identity" without triggering a backlash. But you claim it results from a lack of context. I'm going to counter that it results from too much context, that the word "white" denoted integrity and autonomy for so long, e.g. "that's mighty white of you" and "I'm free, white and 21," that it's impossible to discuss white identity without alluding to its racist legacy That's why neo-Nazis appropriated the term "white' for their supremacist organizations, not because the word was meaningless.
  
  And again, you're absolutely right that dark-skinned mass murderers are "terrorists" while light-skinned mass murderers are "mentally ill." But is that not, in itself, a stereotype? That white males become deluded heavily armed incels? I'm not saying it's a form of discrimination, I'm saying it's the kind of racial profiling that prevents a deeper analysis of the social pathologies that create these killers.
  
  Like I said, though, I'm being picayune, enjoyed the book, always love your work. Damn, I love this couscous. Hey, can you identify the seasonings so I can tell my wife how to make it? I know you said you don't cook, but come on, you were born in Morocco, you must know . . . wait, what are you doing with your water glass?
  
  (splash)
  
  Is it something I said?
• 
  Callie K

  “Despair is seductive. It takes no effort and gives a way out. It says, why bother. Look away, there’s nothing you can do. Worry about yourself, forget everyone else. Sometimes, despair swaddles itself in cleverness. Then it speaks as a cynic. What were you expecting, it asks with a bitter laugh. Every once in a while despair betrays itself as fear. You will lose the fight it says. You will lose time, money, maybe even friends or family. But despair is never without consequence. It is a gift to the status quo.”
• 
  Minh

  This book makes me significantly more "woke." It offers lots of perspectives regarding race, gender, culture, and class when it comes to the cultural melting pot that is America and what it means to "belong" in this country. Highly recommended for friends who have ever been in the US, not necessarily citizens, especially international friends and POC. You are guaranteed to find at least a piece of your own experience here.
• 
  Janine

  Smart and thoughtful writing. One of the best books I’ve read this year.
• 
  Emerson Herrera

  4.5 stars
  
  Usually, when a book compels me to shed tears, I do it for characters unknown, for faraway lands I will never get to see, for invented lives. When I cried during Laila Lalami's book, I wept for something personal. I shed tears for my parents reaching for an impossible and mythic dream, uncles deported, and I wept for my own story. I saw myself in this book, which rarely happens. I am only one of a sea of immigrants in this country and, yet, we have all somehow experienced this collective grief: a nation and a people that recognize us but prefer to keep us at arm's length.
  
  Conditional Citizens is a poignant look at how white Americans treat nonwhite Americans/immigrants. The author also expertly points out white supremacy's ability to shape our view of citizenship, identity, illegality, and borders. Although I did not learn anything fundamentally new, and I do have a few other criticisms, the author's ability to synthesize and weave her narrative within each chapter is impressive. I would recommend this short collection of essays if you are looking for a new perspective on what it means to be a foreign-born U.S. citizen.
• 
  Anzal

  Really refreshing and informed take on the subjects addressed in this essay collection. I also enjoyed her voice as a fiction writer, which made it read a lot like literary non fiction without compromising on the facts, which literary non fiction often has trouble with. My ebook is filled with notes and I'm looking forward to reading this again!
• 
  Lauren Flores

  The cover of this book gives the appearance that perhaps this will be a book strictly about immigration. Or maybe that was my read-in. But, in a fascinating thesis, the author covers so much more! The book highlights several ways in which an “American” might not be seen as fully equal under the law.
  
  Through the book, the author provides her own perspective as a naturalized US citizen originally from Morocco and touches subject such as sexual harassment, borders, religion, cast, and wealth.
  
  I especially appreciated the conclusion chapter as a way to summarize what was discussed and also ways to become better.
• 
  Katie

  "Conditional citizens are people whose rights the state finds expendable in the pursuit of white supremacy."
  
  A short, direct, and searing review of what "equality" actually means in America. This should be required reading for everyone. Lalami touches on subjects ranging from her personal experience as an immigrant, to the border wall, to race, to the testimony of Christine Blasey Ford.
  
  One of the most difficult and memorable books I will ever read.
  
  See more of my reviews:
  Instagram
• 
  Rebecca Kelly

  Lalami is an excellent and convincing writer. She made great points throughout this book about race, citizenship, gender, and wealth. I’d probably give this book 4.4/5. The only reasons it gets marks off because it felt disjointed at some moments, but mainly just because I felt I didn’t really learn any new information. She presented her points well, don’t get me wrong, and this shortcoming is actually probably more to do with my own pre-awareness of the issues she spoke about. I’ve taken several classes and read numerous books that discussed points she brought up, so much of what she said was not new info to me personally. She summarized this info well, though, which I enjoyed, and I appreciated her weaving in her own life stories. I think personal narratives can provide a deeply human touch to conversations about this book’s material. I think this book would excel at educating someone (specifically white people who haven’t ever talked with an immigrant or person of color) about the racist, sexist, classist issues that permeates our society. Also, it would be a great required reading for high school or college to make sure every American youth has foundational knowledge of these issues.
• 
  Leslie

  Admittedly, I wanted to abandon this book after the first chapter. Ms. Lalami and I are on opposite ends of the spectrum regarding religious, political, and social issues. However, I try to read books that stretch and challenge my thinking. Although my religious, political, and social views did not change by the end of the book, I gained a great appreciation for the author's knowledge and insights into her experiences as a non-white, American citizen.
  
  My heart hurt for her as she shared some of the awful ways she's been spoken to and treated by fellow Americans, and I cannot argue nor take those experiences away from her. However, I would not draw the same conclusions or recommend the same solutions to the issues she addressed.
  
  Although this is not an excuse, I would argue most, if not all, other countries have issues relating to assimilation, border control, and poverty. America is "different", but they are also the same: a nation comprised of broken people, and therefore broken governments/nations. Rather than expressing discontentment, and perhaps even anger, towards America, I would rather address the problem of the human condition. We all have faults, so I would expect our governments and nations to have faults as well. I do hope we can remedy these things, but my hope is not in a government or movement of people. My faith in Christ leads me to believe that we do have a problem (sin), and our solution and hope is Jesus.
• 
  Mainlinebooker

  Laila, a Moroccan born woman leaves her homeland in 1992 to further her education and get a doctorate in linguistics. She planned on returning home, but met a man who was to become her husband, and decided to adopt America as her new homeland. She was sworn in at the Pomona Fairplex, feeling buoyant about her new found citizenship. Enter 9/11 and the fearful paranoia of the American people. Her newfound experience was of discrimination and not an"equal member of the American society." In passionate prose she indicts the system that does not allow her to become equal as an Arab, immigrant, Muslim and woman. This inequality did not seem to illuminate any new insights to me. It is the arguments that are similarly expressed in the Black lives matter movement, minus the police brutality component. Another review of her book felt that she wanted to" preserve the'gray zones' between religious, ethnic and national identities as a way to push back against tribalism and sectarianism."However, I did not feel she offered much new information and little countermeasures for change in today's world. Other books were more fulfilling .
• 
  Emma

  A gripping and accessible look at the way people are treated in America based on their citizenship status, their race, their gender, and more, woven together with personal details of Lalami's own experience. Despite the nature of the subject matter, I couldn't put this book down, Lalami's writing style swept me through it in two breathtaking sittings.
• 
  Emily Goenner

  By far the best book I've read about race, gender, privilege, etc. It deals with the multiple factors creating American society, both historically and in the present. I learned so much. Lalami is quickly taking a space in my list of favorite authors.