Immigrants v. Immigrants: Racial Threats among Immigrants in Local Politics

• In Event: Poster Session: Racial and Ethnic Politics & Security and MENA Politics
  In Poster Session: Poster Session: Racial and Ethnic Politics

Abstract

With the rapid rise of new Latin American immigrants, we have seen states that once welcome immigrants start to adopt strict anti-immigrant policies. A prime example is New York City with its adoption of 60 day limits on hotel stays regardless of housing and job opportunities. Interestedly enough, we have seen local politicians step up to vocalize clear pro or anti-immigrant stances to welcome or reject the arrival of these unexpected migrants. It is in this realm in which this paper asks- what characteristics make a deserving immigrant of being welcomed to communities with historical ties to immigrants? I posit this question against the backdrop of racial threat and group positionality that situates anti-blackness, anti-indigenous, and anti-immigrant as key values that are by racialized communities themselves to dictate who comes in and out of their town. In migrating to the United States of America for the American Dream, first and second generation immigrants adopt the values of democracy and in this adoption comes the danger of racial threat and white supremacy. For this paper, I focus my attention on the Northeast region of New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Connecticut to explore the tensions among newly arrived immigrants and established immigrant groups from the Latin American diaspora, Asian diaspora, and Black Caribbean diaspora. I will conduct a survey analysis from local organizations in each state focused on questions of belonging, immigrant views, political ideology, and ideas of threat. The goal of this work is to re-examine the dangers that the American dream of democracy now poses for newly arrived immigrants while simultaneously provide ways that solidarity building can occur with older and newer immigrant groups.

Author

• Geidy Soraida Mendez, University of California- Irvine