Wong Kim Ark was born around 1870 in San Francisco’s Chinatown. After moving back to China, he hoped to return, but was barred by the Chinese Exclusion Act; the U.S. did not consider him a citizen.
Jimmy Carter grew up in Archery, Georgia with 20 other families – only two of which were white – according to Carter biographer Jonathan Alter. “In some ways it’s an epic American story,” says Alter.