Xenophobia

I’m interpreting “xenophobia” in the broadest possible sense, linking hostility toward undocumented immigrants (many of them Hispanic) to fear of refugees (especially Muslims), not to mention the recent rise in antisemitism. These three phenomena don’t always appear together—many Republican opponents of illegal immigration are also staunch defenders of Israel. What’s more, the widespread 2016 fear of Syrian refugee resettlement seems somewhat different in tone from the recent effort to present the Honduran refugee caravan as a threat to national security. But many people believe that these forms of intolerance are related to one another, a kinship evident in the intolerant rhetoric of the Alt Right. I hope to discuss this question further in class.

for HW, do one of the following:

1. Look into expressions of intolerance by mainstream politicians or commentators—perhaps Trump in particular. Find 10 instances from some particular period or referencing some particular ethnic group and identify a pattern in the politician’s thinking/choice of words. Don’t clutter up your response with 10 links, but do use quotation from some of the instances to illustrate the pattern.
2. Look into how liberal activists and commentators respond to expressions of intolerance. Find 10 instances from a particular group or individual and identify a pattern in the thinking/choice of words. Don’t clutter up your response with 10 links, but do use quotation from some of the instances to illustrate the pattern.
3. Focus on a particular instance of intolerance—but use it as an occasion for deepening our understanding of a broader social pattern, perhaps a pattern identified by one of your peers in what they posted for HW.