The Rising Tide of Xenophobia

Hate of the Unfamiliar in America

The Rising Tide of Xenophobia in American Politics deserves a close look. Putting hate under a microscope in this limited format begins with a definition of xenophobia and its tie to American politics. So let’s begin…

Xenophobia, or the “fear of strangers,” has become a toxic force in American politics. Politicians and their wealthy backers, whom we can call billionaires and their serfs, use xenophobia to maintain power by spreading misinformation about immigrants. In this piece, we will explore six key elements of this rising tide of xenophobia, examining how false narratives about immigration fuel social division.

False Claims About Immigrants: The Rising Tide of Xenophobia

Xenophobic politicians routinely make false claims about immigrants, painting them as criminals and threats to national security. For instance, during his presidency, Donald Trump falsely stated that Mexican immigrants brought crime and drugs into the United States, despite evidence to the contrary. Studies from the Cato Institute (Nowrasteh, 2018) show that undocumented immigrants in Texas are less likely to commit violent crimes than U.S. citizens. These lies are propagated to fuel fear, and they allow billionaires and their serfs to divert attention from more pressing economic issues, like wealth inequality.

Blaming the Victims a Tactic in The Rising Tide of Xenophobia

Politicians also blame immigrants for societal problems they didn’t create. This tactic is often born from a lack of understanding of immigrants’ cultures and languages. Central American asylum seekers, for example, flee gang violence and political instability, much of it worsened by U.S. policies. Yet, they are often portrayed as invaders. This victim-blaming ignores the complex reasons behind migration, which include the U.S. interventions in their home countries (Chomsky, 2014). It is far easier for billionaires and their serfs to shift the blame onto the powerless than to confront systemic inequalities.

A Manufactured Border Crisis

One of the most enduring myths promoted by xenophobes is the existence of a “border crisis.” Despite falling undocumented immigration rates, xenophobic politicians continue to call for expensive and ineffective measures like a border wall. In reality, border apprehensions hit a 40-year low in 2017,

according to data from the Pew Research Center (Krogstad & Lopez, 2017). Yet, the narrative of a border invasion persists, fueled by billionaires and their serfs who benefit from keeping the focus off issues like stagnant wages and poor healthcare access. They distract the public, inflaming fears of a non-existent threat.

Family Separation as Policy: The Rising Tide of Xenophobia

Perhaps the most disturbing manifestation of xenophobia is the family separation policy implemented at the U.S.-Mexico border in 2018. The policy forcibly separated more than 4,000 children from their parents—many of whom were fleeing extreme violence (ACLU, 2019). These families were not criminals but asylum seekers following legal processes. Yet, billionaires and their serfs justified this cruelty under the guise of national security. The trauma inflicted on these children continues to impact them, as many still remain separated from their parents. This xenophobic policy exemplifies the lengths to which leaders will go to dehumanize immigrants.

Shoddy Record-Keeping

The separation of families at the border also revealed the government’s callous disregard for basic record-keeping. A 2019 report by the Department of Homeland Security’s Inspector General (2019) found that inadequate records made reuniting families far more difficult than necessary. While the administration touted this separation policy as a deterrent, its ineffectiveness and cruelty were compounded by bureaucratic failures. These failures were the direct result of a xenophobic mindset that saw migrants not as people but as threats. Meanwhile, billionaires and their serfs benefit from maintaining this divisive rhetoric, ensuring that comprehensive immigration reform remains elusive

Finally, it is worth noting the irony of xenophobic rhetoric. Many Americans who decry immigration are themselves descended from immigrants. From the Pilgrims arriving on the Mayflower to the waves of Irish, Italian, and Jewish immigrants in the 19th and 20th centuries, the U.S. has long been a nation built by those seeking refuge and opportunity. Yet today, xenophobes conveniently forget this history as they scapegoat the latest generation of immigrants. Politicians and their wealthy backers, whom we can call billionaires and their serfs, have mastered the art of selective amnesia, ignoring their own immigrant origins while condemning others for seeking the same opportunities (Mehta, 2019).

Conclusion: Xenophobia as a Tool of Power

Xenophobia, at its heart, stems from a lack of empathy and understanding. It thrives on ignorance, stoked by political elites and their wealthy backers. What started as a nation open to immigrants has become a battleground where billionaires and their serfs manipulate public sentiment against newcomers, using fear to maintain their control. While managing immigration is a legitimate concern, the toxic rise of xenophobic rhetoric makes meaningful reform impossible. As long as politicians continue to promote the rising tide of xenophobia to deflect from economic disparities, America will remain divided, and the promise of equality will remain unfulfilled.

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Sources Cited

American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). (2019). Family separation at the U.S.-Mexico border. https://www.aclu.org/issues/immigrants-rights/family-separation

Chomsky, A. (2014). Undocumented: How immigration became illegal. Beacon Press.

Department of Homeland Security. (2019). DHS lacked technology needed to track separated migrant families. https://www.oig.dhs.gov/reports

Krogstad, J. M., & Lopez, M. H. (2017). Border apprehensions at record lows, but those at the border feel it’s still a crisis. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org

Mehta, S. (2019). Immigrant exclusion and the rise of xenophobia in America: A historical analysis. HarperCollins.

Nowrasteh, A. (2018). Criminal immigrants in Texas: Illegal immigrant conviction and arrest rates for homicide, sex crimes, larceny, and other crimes. Cato Institute. https://www.cato.org

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Suggestions for Future Reading

1. Chomsky, A. (2021). A History of Xenophobia in America: From Colonialism to the Present. This book provides a comprehensive look at how xenophobia has shaped U.S. policies from the colonial period to today.
2. Sethi, A. S. (2019). American Hate: Survivors Speak Out. A collection of personal stories from those who have faced hate crimes in the U.S., illustrating the real-life effects of xenophobic rhetoric.
3. Truax, E. (2018). We Built the Wall: How the U.S. Keeps Out Asylum Seekers from Mexico, Central America, and Beyond. A detailed account of how U.S. policies are designed to prevent legitimate asylum seekers from entering the country.
4. Cantú, F. (2019). The Line Becomes a River: Dispatches from the Border. A memoir from a former Border Patrol agent who reflects on the human cost of U.S. border policies.
5. Nail, T. (2016). The Border and Its Bodies: The Physical and Social Effects of Border Policies. This academic text explores how U.S. border policies physically and socially affect migrant bodies.
6. Milkman, R. (2020). Immigration Matters: Movements, Visions, and Strategies for a Progressive Future. This book explores how progressive movements can reshape U.S. immigration laws for a more just society.

Disclaimer: The images and videos in this post are AI-generated creations, intended purely for illustrative and conceptual purposes. They are not real-life representations and should not be interpreted as such. Their sole purpose is to offer a visual means of exploring the topics discussed in this post.

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