Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Of immigrants fear

newyorktherightsanxietyaboutafrican-americanshasbeenreplacedbyanxietyaboutimmigrants.Peterbeinartonhowarizonasnewlawhasignitedthecivil-rightsstruggleforanewcentury.Whyarelargechunksoftheamericanrightsofreakedoutbyillegalimmigrants?Becausetheyarenolongersofreakedoutbyafrican-americans.Andinthisregard,thepoliticsof2010aremorelike1910than1970.Overthelastcentury,americanpoliticshastendedtosee-sawbetweenpanicsaboutimmigrantsandpanicsaboutblacks.Ahundredyearsago,immigrationwasthemorevolatileissue.Anti-blackracismwasbrutalandprofound,ofcourse,butafrican-americanswereafamiliargroupthatconstitutedastableshareofthepopulation.Theywerealsodisenfranchised,andthereforelesspoliticallythreatening.Immigrantsfromsouthernandeasterneurope,bycontrast,werepouringontoamericasshores.Andtheywerebecomingpoliticallyactive:joininglaborunions,takingovercitygovernments,influencingpresidentialelections.Todaysclosestequivalentstogeorgewallaceandstromthurmondarej.D.Hayworthandtomtancredo.Amongmanynative-bornwhites,theresultwashysteria.Finally,afterfourdecadesofthismassivecatholicandjewishimmigration,thegopthedominantpartyinthenative-bornnorthpushedthroughlawsclosingamericasdoor.Manyrepublicansalsogrewobsessedwithprohibition,anissuethathadeverythingtodowiththehostilityofteetotalingold-stockprotestantstoalcohol-drinkingimmigrantcatholics.Thedemocrats,fortheirpart,grewsodividedbetweennativistsandnewcomersthatin1924theytookmorethan100ballotstoselectapresidentialnominee.In1928,thepartynominatedacatholic,newyorkgovernoralsmith,whogotcrushed.&Bull;paultheroux:arizona,showyourpapers?Sowhat!Butgradually,thependulumswung.Withmassimmigrationhalted,thenativistpanicoftheearly20thcenturyeased.Whatreplacedit,afterworldwarii,waspanicaboutafrican-americans,whobeganmobilizingasneverbeforeagainsttheirpoliticaldisenfranchisement.Startingin1948,whenharrytrumanbegantentativelycourtingtheblackvote,leadingstromthurmondandothersegregationistdemocratstowalkoutofthedemocraticconvention,attitudestowardafrican-americansbegantodefinethetwoparties.Fromalabamagovernorgeorgewallacesprimarychallengetolyndonjohnsonin1964toleeatwaterswilliehortonadin1988,anti-blackracismwasharnessedineverypresidentialcampaign.Immigration,bycontrast,wasmostlyignored.Then,inthe1990s,thependulumswungback.Crimeplummeted,thusrelegatingoneraciallysaturatedissuetothepoliticalmargins.Billclintonsignedwelfarereform,eliminatinganother.Andaseriesofrepublicans,mostnotablygeorgew.Bush,decidednottopoliticallychallengeaffirmativeaction,sideliningathird.Meanwhile,justasblack-whiteanxietieswereeasing,the1965immigrationlaw,whichopenedamericasdoorstoimmigrantsfromthethirdworld,andthegrowingeconomicinterdependenceoftheu.S.Andmexico,whichledtowavesoflegalandillegalimmigrantscrossingamericassouthernborder,begantospuragrowingfearaboutimmigration.Thehingeyearswere1994,whencaliforniapassedproposition187,banningillegalimmigrantsfrompublicservices,and1996,whentheverywelfarereformlawthathelpedeasewhiteanti-blackresentmentincludedlanguagebarringevenlegal,non-citizenimmigrantsfromreceivingfoodstamps.Morethanadecadelater,itisnowclearthatnative-immigrantrelationsdriveamericanpoliticsmorethanwhite-blackrelations.Ofcourse,african-americansstillencountersignificantracism,buttodaysfear-mongersdonttrytowinelectionswithimagesofblackmenrapingwhitewomen;theydoitwithimagesofmexicanshoppingtheborder,stealingjobsandcommittingcrimes.Todaysclosestequivalentstogeorgewallaceandstromthurmondarej.D.Hayworthandtomtancredo.Justlookattheattacksonbarackobama.Duringthecampaign,therace-baitingrightattackedhimasbothaclosetblackmilitant(viajeremiahwright)andaclosetmuslim(viahismiddlename).But18monthslater,barelyanyonementionswrightanymore.Whathasstuckisthechargethatobamawasbornoverseas.Thismonth,thegeniusesinthearizonahousepassedalawrequiringpresidentialcandidatestoshowtheirbirthcertificatestogetonthestateballot(thebillwassetasidebythestatesenatefornow,anyway).Idearlyhopethefederalgovernmentpassesasensibleimmigrationlawsoon,butletsnotkidourselves.Thepoliticsofimmigrationaregoingtobewrenchingforalongtimebecauseontheground,immigrationisproducingwrenchingculturalandeconomicchange.Theethniccompositionoftheunitedstatesischangingprofoundly,andtheinfluxofcheapworkersisprovinganeconomicboonforamericanswhohavegraduatedcollege(whonowpaylessforservices)andaneconomicthreattoamericanswhohavenot(whooftenfindthemselvescompetingagainstimmigrantlabor).Relationsbetweenmexicanimmigrantsandnative-bornwhitesinphoenixtodayaretheequivalentofrelationsbetweenafrican-americansandwhitesinbostonin1975.Culturalandeconomictensionisthedrytinder;soonerorlater,politicaldemagogueswilllightthematch.Arizona,declaredjessejacksonthisweek,hasbecometheselmaofourage.Twentyyearsafter1965,whencivilrightsmarcherscrossedtheedmundpettusbridge,americawasstillgrapplingwiththepoliticalaftershocks.Isuspectthatonthe20thanniversaryofarizonasimmigrationlaw,wewillstillbegrapplingwithitsaftershocksaswell.Peterbeinart,seniorpoliticalwriterforthedailybeast,isassociateprofessorofjournalismandpoliticalscienceatcityuniversityofnewyorkandaseniorfellowatthenewamericafoundation.Hisnewbook,twitterandfacebook.Formoreofthedailybeast,becomeafanonfacebookandfollowusontwitter.Forinquiries,pleasecontactthedailybeastateditorialthedailybeast.Com. 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