KQED's Forum Daisy Hernández Rethinks Citizenship and the Meaning of Belonging
Feb 23, 2026
Daisy Hernández, journalist and creative writing professor who writes on immigration and Latino life, challenges the idea that citizenship is stable or fair. She explores how citizenship shapes access, global mobility, investor visas, denaturalization, and unequal protections across states and territories. She also reflects on personal moments and suggests rethinking belonging toward neighborly solidarity.
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Citizenship Controls Daily Life Not Just Voting
- U.S. citizenship shapes everyday life far beyond voting rights.
- Daisy Hernández cites work eligibility, Medicaid limits for green card holders, and Pell grant access as examples showing citizenship's broad impact.
Citizenship Feels Like State Membership
- Citizenship now often functions as state-based rather than national protection.
- Hernández compares access to reproductive care, transgender IDs, and Medicaid across states to show uneven citizenship.
Library Translation Request Revealed Racialized Expectations
- Hernández recounts being asked to translate by police at a library and feeling unable to refuse.
- The moment taught her she was racialized and seen as bilingual because of how police perceived her in a white community.
