American legitimacy can be claimed through patriotic service and middle-class productivity, not just birth

Evidence

This advertisement demonstrates the convergence of a variety of discourses through this multicultural Muslim American family. Readers are informed that the Puerto Rican woman was born in the United States while her Indian husband was not. Nonetheless, his legitimacy as an American is claimed by virtue of the length of time he has been in the country and his patriotic service. Furthermore, he is a successful, middle-class family man and thus a productive and desirable citizen-patriot. And he participates in quintessential American activities. — Evelyn Alsultany, Arabs and Muslims in the Media, 1223

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to the standing library’s interests in how marginalized groups claim belonging through patriotic/citizenship signaling. — connects to: Guaranteed income historically implied work duties tied to citizenship. — Anton Jäger and Daniel Zamora Vargas, Welfare for Markets: A Global History…, 107