As we commemorate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, it's imperative to revisit one of the earliest conundrums in Asian American legal history - the question of whether Asian Americans are considered "white" under the law. This dilemma dates back to 1790 when Congress exclusively limited U.S. citizenship to “free white persons,” thereby excluding a significant portion of the population, including free black people and, later, Asian immigrants who sought the American dream on its shores. The recent webinar, "When Citizenship Depended on Race," spearheaded by experts like Elizabeth Tanaka and Stephen Lee, dissected the historical epoch when Asian Americans were barricaded from U.S. citizenship by racial restrictions. This digital gathering traced its roots back to an in-person event on May 3rd, 2023, emphasizing the ongoing dialogue surrounding race, empire, and legal history's intersection impacting Asian Americans.