A new mural in San Francisco is getting lots of attention as the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to weigh in on the fight over birthright citizenship this summer.

Wong Kim Ark, born in San Francisco’s Chinatown, cemented birthright citizenship in the U.S. more than 120 years ago.

“I am an American” is written in both English and Chinese with Wong Kim Ark’s portrait at the corner of Sacramento Street and Grant Avenue. The mural is located near the corner where Wong Kim Ark was born in the 1870s to Chinese immigration parents.

Norman Chuck, known as “Vogue,” along with Elaine Chu and Marina Perez-Wong of Twin Walls Mural Company, have been working on the project for the past month.

“I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for Wong Kim Ark,” Chu said.

“It tells us that we belong here and we matter just as much as the next person,” Vogue said.

“Both my parents were immigrants from China,” Vogue went on to say. “I am a first-born American, so it directly relates to me.”

The mural and a bronze plaque are on display at the Chinatown corner for people to stop and learn.

Wong Kim Ark was refused entry back into the U.S. after a trip to China under the Chinese Exclusion Act. Wong Kim Ark challenged the Supreme Court on his right to be called an American citizen and won his case in 1898.

“We want this mural to not also educate but also be a part of the community where people can see themselves reflected in these spaces, in Wong Kim Ark,” Chu said.

“A lot of our aunts, uncles, grandparents, great-grandparents came through Angel Island, and that shouldn’t be something that’s looked at as a negative,” Perez-Wong said. “We’re what makes this community vibrant.”

California and other states are suing President Donald Trump over his executive order to end birthright citizenship. For San Francisco, it means the story of “Wong Kim Ark” is more relevant than ever.  Gia Vang reports. 

The artists collaborated with the Chinese Historical Society of America Museum (CHSA), community and family members on the project. Each image on the wall has a story to tell, reflecting Wong Kim Ark’s life like his village and passport photos. There are also images that reflect the Chinatown community, like a vendor or family.

“The story of immigrants, the story of people who were born here who shouldn’t be considered foreign because they were born here, it’s birthright citizenship,” Perez-Wong.

The artists hope when people walk by, they will see the layers of history that spark curiosity and celebration.

“This is a legacy mural for me,” Vogue said.

“I had a little kid walk by and he read, ‘I am an American,’ and I just remember he boldly and proudly said, ‘I’m a Chinese American,’ when he walked by with his mom,” Chu said.

San Francisco leaders on Friday commemorated nearly 130 years since the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed birthright citizenship to everyone born in the country, including the children of all immigrants. Sergio Quintana reports.

The Nuggets are facing a lot of problems this offseason with roster building, but we’ve become so used to one of the biggest ones that we barely even mention it anymore: Zeke Nnaji’s contract. For years, the brutal and inexplicable 4-year, $32 million extension that Calvin Booth handed him has been weighing the team down like an anchor, and sadly, it’s not going away any time soon.

Booth thought he was being clever by getting the extension done a year early, thinking he was getting great value on a player who would be a helpful stretch-big for years. But Nnaji immediately fell off a cliff, and the contract quickly became disastrous long before it ever even went into effect.

Nuggets completely botched the Zeke Nnaji contract

He has been unplayable and out of the rotation, and thus, completely untradeable, and the pathetic reality is that nothing about that situation has changed. Unbelievably, Nnaji still has next season fully guaranteed at $7.47 million, and a player option for the same amount the following season.

That’s basically two years and $15 million for a player who doesn’t play. The Nuggets’ front office and coaching staff were never on the same page, and his value has been completely sapped. They desperately need to shed salary, and his deal is a clear albatross, and yet, to do so, they’d almost certainly have to sacrifice draft capital or a rotation player.

It’s pitiful to think they are wasting a roster spot and a salary greater than the taxpayer’s midlevel exception on a 25-year-old who can’t even sniff the court, but that’s exactly where things stand.

The fact that the Nuggets can’t even convince a young, rebuilding team to take a flier on Nnaji is a massive indictment on the organization. Denver needs to free up money badly to keep Peyton Watson and make other moves, and the Nnaji deal is a clear and obvious roadblock. They are probably going to have to salary dump a starter like Cam Johnson or Christian Braun to accomplish their offseason goals, and that’s partly due to Nnaji’s deal.

Nuggets must pay to get off Nnaji deal

That’s brutally bad asset management, but instead of dwelling on the past, the Nuggets should be forward-thinking. They are going to have to trade away a good player anyway, so perhaps instead of seeking a positive return, they should look to dump Nnaji in the deal. It may be the best (and perhaps only) way to move him, after all.

Someone like Johnson should have positive trade value and has appeal for many contending teams. As great as it would be to get back a decent player or some draft picks to refurbish the kitty, it may actually be more valuable for Denver to force that team to take Nnaji as well.

Again, this is a pathetic thought to even be having, but that’s where things stand in Denver. With ownership unwilling to splurge on the roster, and Nnaji’s contract sticking out like a sore thumb, the Nuggets may just have to bite the proverbial bullet and be done with it.