"American citizenship, which ought to grant the same rights to all who hold it, has been historically circumscribed by a number of conditions that are almost entirely determined by the lottery of birth." So writes award-winning novelist and professor Laila Lalami (The Other Americans; The Moor's Account) in her first nonfiction book, Conditional Citizens: On Belonging in America.
This provocatively insightful cross between memoir and essay exposes what it is like to be a nonwhite American citizen, using numerous historical examples combined with deeply vulnerable accounts of Lalami's personal experiences.
As a Muslim-American from Morocco, who was naturalized shortly before 9/11, Lalami quickly learned that she could not expect the same rights and protections as a white American male. In chapters with titles such as Allegiance, Caste and Faith, she illustrates ways in which certain factors, such as race, gender and religion, can be an often-insurmountable barrier to the achievement of the American Dream.
As disturbing as these issues are to confront, Lalami's warmth and skill as a writer make this book difficult to put down. She also ends on a note of hope since, as she says, "Despair is seductive. It takes no effort and gives a way out." Instead, Lalami leaves readers with ways in which they can improve the status quo and continue the fight for true equality.
Her call to action has always been necessary, but even more strikingly amid the social turmoil stoked by the Covid-19 pandemic. --Grace Rajendran, freelance reviewer and literary events producer