Although the military has been a path to citizenship for many immigrants since 1862, many members have been denied naturalization. Research has found that many non-citizen Asians that served in the US military between 1900 and 1952 were denied on these grounds:

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Research has shown that the US courts during this time period were more intent on maintaining a "racialized" concept of citizenship and adhering to the Naturalization Act of 1790, which limited the right to naturalization to "free white persons." This means that non-white immigrants, including many Asians who served in the military, were often denied naturalization regardless of their service. The justification of spies during WWII was not commonly used as a reason for denial of naturalization for these individuals. While there were specific requirements for military naturalization, such as serving honorably for at least one year, many non-citizen Asians did meet these requirements but were still denied naturalization.

Although the Military Has Been a Path to Citizenship for Many