Racism, Nativism, and Exclusion

Abstract

While population growth for the Latino population has surged since the middle of this century, people of Spanish origin have been part of the American fabric since the nation's earliest days. Since the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which ended the Mexican-American War in 1848 and ceded most of what is now the American Southwest to the United States, Hispanics in this country (whether born here or outside U.S. borders) have been affected in various ways by the exclusionary and restrictive nature of U.S. immigration laws and policies. Most Latinos are U.S. citizens (62% by birth and an additional 7% by naturalization), but those who are citizens often have family members residing in the U.S. who are not. Recently, anti-immigrant and exclusionary sentiments have surfaced once again, much of which has been focused incorrectly on Latinos. Public policy is a critical matter for minorities, who typically occupy positions toward the bottom of the social hierarchy. In this paper, we examine the impact of social policy on the lives of Hispanics, including recent immigration and border legislation, welfare reform, and official language policy and educational programs. Much of the rhetoric used to justify recent policy changes and proposals is based on misperceptions, misrepresentations, and misunderstandings.

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