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The Long History of Xenophobia in the United States
The current political frenzy against “migrants” is nothing new
Sometimes, listening to politicians in the “developed” world, one gets the impression that hordes of barbarians are at the borders. These politicians tell us to be very concerned about the threat of immigrants. What these barbarians are accused of isn’t exactly clear; the message is vague beyond “be afraid.” These reactionaries make it seem that hostility against immigrants is greater than ever. History records otherwise.
In a previous article, I mentioned the implied meaning of the term “expat” — a privileged attitude held by people who emigrated to a new country maintaining separation from the inhabitants previously there. There’s a whiff of that attitude in the anti-immigrant sentiments throughout Europe, the United States, and Canada. Many people feel a need for separation from those different from them, especially when that separation has an air of superiority to the others. Immigrants can easily be cast in that role of separate inferiors, though most people who look down on immigrants prefer those immigrants remain in their countries of origin.
Separateness has long been a justification for national pride, however false and perverse. The British can be slightly (only slightly) forgiven because the…
