America for Americans: A History of Xenophobia in the United States
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- Author：Erika Lee
- ISBN：1541672615
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Summary
This definitive history of American xenophobia is "essential reading for anyone who wants to build a more inclusive society" （Ibram X。 Kendi， New York Times-bestselling author of How to Be an Antiracist）。 The United States is known as a nation of immigrants。 But it is also a nation of xenophobia。 In America for Americans， Erika Lee shows that an irrational fear， hatred， and hostility toward immigrants has been a defining feature of our nation from the colonial era to the Trump era。 Benjamin Franklin ridiculed Germans for their "strange and foreign ways。" Americans' anxiety over Irish Catholics turned xenophobia into a national political movement。 Chinese immigrants were excluded， Japanese incarcerated， and Mexicans deported。 Today， Americans fear Muslims， Latinos， and the so-called browning of America。 Forcing us to confront this history， Lee explains how xenophobia works， why it has endured， and how it threatens America。 Now updated with an epilogue reflecting on how the coronavirus pandemic turbocharged xenophobia， America for Americans is an urgent spur to action for any concerned citizen。
Reviews
Caitie
，
"History shows that xenophobia has been a constant and defining feature in American life。 It is deeply embedded in our society， economy， and politics。 It thrives best in certain contexts， such as periods of rapid economic and demographic change， but it has also been actively promoted by special interests in the pursuit of political power。" （page 7）This is a very important book and I feel like everyone should read it because it explains that xenophobia didn't start with Donald Trump， it began soo "History shows that xenophobia has been a constant and defining feature in American life。 It is deeply embedded in our society， economy， and politics。 It thrives best in certain contexts， such as periods of rapid economic and demographic change， but it has also been actively promoted by special interests in the pursuit of political power。" （page 7）This is a very important book and I feel like everyone should read it because it explains that xenophobia didn't start with Donald Trump， it began soon after America itself。 Even Benjamin Franklin was worried about Germans coming to the colonies because they spoke another language and didn't seem "white enough，" to fit in with the rest of society。 This soon spread to Irish immigrants， who were mostly Catholic so they didn't fit into the normal Christian society （they were also not skilled laborers and were fleeing a famine）。 Then the Chinese--and literally every other Asian race including sending the Japanese to internment camps during WWII--Mexicans and finally anyone who could be perceived as Muslim after the 9/11 attacks。 It still is slightly amazing that people in 2021 America still feel that anyone who is different than them shouldn't belong in the country， although after the presidency of Donald Trump I guess anything is possible now。 Just because someone has darker skin， speaks another language or celebrates a different religion does not make them strange or bad。 Erika Lee， the author， perfectly describes how the United States is literally a nation of immigrants--unless of course you're Native American （who were all here first） or African American （who were mostly kidnapped to become slaves）。 Many of these immigrants do jobs that white Americans do not seem to want and are a vital part of society。 For example， the Japanese were forced into internment camps after Pearl Harbor。。。。the US government tried to play this as a "military necessity，" which was literally a cover for xenophobia。 The government wanted a way to make this group of people less prominent， and used the excuse of "well the Japanese attacked us so any Japanese person in America could also attack us。" There was a similar excuse after the September 11 attacks except this time for Muslim people。 It's just all so sad if you ask me。 。。。more
Eli
，
Essential for any student of American History。
Kendrick
，
This is a really hard book to read。 It's basically exactly what it says on the subtitle - A History of Xenophobia in the United States。 I just wish it wasn't such a surprise to read so many of these stories。 This is a really hard book to read。 It's basically exactly what it says on the subtitle - A History of Xenophobia in the United States。 I just wish it wasn't such a surprise to read so many of these stories。 。。。more
Bex
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Expansive， detailed， incredibly well-researched。 I borrowed this from my local library but am adding it to my list of books to purchase to have on hand。 This is an incredible journey through the long， dark history of xenophobia built into the United States。
Georgette
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Wow。 Spectacular book， and yet alarming on the realistic side of our country's history。 Everyone should have to read this。 Wow。 Spectacular book， and yet alarming on the realistic side of our country's history。 Everyone should have to read this。 。。。more
Chris Dunn
，
Happy Fourth！ Xenophobia and racism are baked into our country's past， present， and the foreseeable future。This book was a little dry， but it was helpful to learn the history of xenophobia in the U。S。， from distrust of Germans to the barring of Chinese to the normalization of Islamophobia。 Tackling the U。S。's dual identities as a nation of immigrants and a nation of xenophobia， Erika Lee shows how the two have coexisted and continue to do so through the 2016 election。 Happy Fourth！ Xenophobia and racism are baked into our country's past， present， and the foreseeable future。This book was a little dry， but it was helpful to learn the history of xenophobia in the U。S。， from distrust of Germans to the barring of Chinese to the normalization of Islamophobia。 Tackling the U。S。's dual identities as a nation of immigrants and a nation of xenophobia， Erika Lee shows how the two have coexisted and continue to do so through the 2016 election。 。。。more
Beth
，
A history of how long Americans have tried to roll up the drawbridge after getting here， from pushing out Native Americans to slavery to narrow definitions of white （not the Germans！ not the Irish！ not the Italians！ definitely not Middle Easterners！）。 Argh。 And of course， it's still growing strong。I particularly like the chapter on California's Prop 187， as I was there for that。 A history of how long Americans have tried to roll up the drawbridge after getting here， from pushing out Native Americans to slavery to narrow definitions of white （not the Germans！ not the Irish！ not the Italians！ definitely not Middle Easterners！）。 Argh。 And of course， it's still growing strong。I particularly like the chapter on California's Prop 187， as I was there for that。 。。。more
Jenny
，
Excellent history of xenophobia on America， focused specifically on the tensions surrounding immigration。 While I was generally familiar with the ways various immigrant groups experienced a pattern of vilification and blame followed eventually by assimilation and acceptance to some degree （dependent on the group’s ability to “become” white）， having the historical trajectory serve as the focal point is an effective way to get a better sense of how xenophobia helps to explain repeating historical Excellent history of xenophobia on America， focused specifically on the tensions surrounding immigration。 While I was generally familiar with the ways various immigrant groups experienced a pattern of vilification and blame followed eventually by assimilation and acceptance to some degree （dependent on the group’s ability to “become” white）， having the historical trajectory serve as the focal point is an effective way to get a better sense of how xenophobia helps to explain repeating historical patterns， and this point towards ways to disrupt those patterns。Personally， I learned about the way Chinese immigrants were intimidated and forced out of their homes and businesses in Tacoma and Seattle in 1885-86， something I never learned about growing up the Seattle area and taking Washington State History。 I also learned that when the US government placed Japanese Americans in internment camps during WWII， there was also a program run by the US to gather Japanese immigrants from west coast countries throughout the Americas， focused especially on Peru。 These people were brought to America and confined （over 2000） with the justification that they could be a threat to the safety of the West; the unofficial justification included the fact that they could be traded to Japan for American POWs if needed。 Lee is articulate and persuasive， and her project is well researched and argued。 Recommended for anyone working on anti racism， and anyone interested in US history， or history generally。 。。。more
Laura Franey
，
Offers a wealth of information about certain time periods in which xenophobia has come to the forefront and had significant impacts on U。S。 life。 Packaged in pretty easy-to-digest chapters。 However， I am a little puzzled as to who her target audience is。 Also， I'm uncomfortable with the framing that ignores how， periodically， white Americans have tried very hard （& sometimes succeeded） in framing Black Americans and Indigenous Americans as NON-Americans。 An example would be the colonization sche Offers a wealth of information about certain time periods in which xenophobia has come to the forefront and had significant impacts on U。S。 life。 Packaged in pretty easy-to-digest chapters。 However， I am a little puzzled as to who her target audience is。 Also， I'm uncomfortable with the framing that ignores how， periodically， white Americans have tried very hard （& sometimes succeeded） in framing Black Americans and Indigenous Americans as NON-Americans。 An example would be the colonization schemes of the early and late 19th-century， in which white Americans encouraged Black Americans to "go back to Africa" in Liberia and other sites。 Rather than a "history of xenophobia in the United States，" as the subtitle proclaims， I would say this is a "series of vignettes" in particular kinds of white-American exclusionary movements。 。。。more
Brock
，
Riding the coattails of similar books like Stamped from the Beginning， it provides a pretty one-sided history of American xenophobia。 While it's important to understand how the same baseless arguments have been made， in different forms， against Germans， Irish， Italians， Chinese， Mexicans， etc。 about how they're ruining the country， I wish the author had explained， in more instances， why the arguments are baseless and what could have been done differently。 For example， the Japanese internment cam Riding the coattails of similar books like Stamped from the Beginning， it provides a pretty one-sided history of American xenophobia。 While it's important to understand how the same baseless arguments have been made， in different forms， against Germans， Irish， Italians， Chinese， Mexicans， etc。 about how they're ruining the country， I wish the author had explained， in more instances， why the arguments are baseless and what could have been done differently。 For example， the Japanese internment camps in WWII were a gross abuse of American citizens， and yet， assuming loyalty to the U。S。 from （in some cases） non-U。S。 citizens who had recently immigrated from a country at war with the U。S。 could potentially be lethally naive。 How else could it be handled？ The book spends a lot of time just saying， here's what happened， it was xenophobic！ It treats it all as self-explanatory。 I'd like to see it explained。 。。。more
Virginia
，
This was worth the lengthy read （listen， in my case， for the audiobook）。 It took me about 7 weeks， as it required lots of time to digest， reflect， and look up several references。 I learned so much about xenophobia in the US and how it's evolved over time。 This book has made me want to learn more about this topic and has prompted as many questions as it has answered。 I am so glad I read this book， and I hope to read it for a second time sometime soon。 There's so much to take in that one go doesn' This was worth the lengthy read （listen， in my case， for the audiobook）。 It took me about 7 weeks， as it required lots of time to digest， reflect， and look up several references。 I learned so much about xenophobia in the US and how it's evolved over time。 This book has made me want to learn more about this topic and has prompted as many questions as it has answered。 I am so glad I read this book， and I hope to read it for a second time sometime soon。 There's so much to take in that one go doesn't feel like not enough。 I would highly recommend this book to all US citizens， residents， and anyone interested in US culture and politics。 。。。more
Ben M
，
Best way to summarize this book is the more things change， the more they stay the same， as some of the same anti-immigration feelings present around the country today seemed to exist throughout the US's history， along with the same tactics used to rally the public and government to act （forming lobbying groups and using the media to spread lies and misinformation）， with only the era and victims of xenophobia changing。The book progresses through US history highlighting different groups and the xe Best way to summarize this book is the more things change， the more they stay the same， as some of the same anti-immigration feelings present around the country today seemed to exist throughout the US's history， along with the same tactics used to rally the public and government to act （forming lobbying groups and using the media to spread lies and misinformation）， with only the era and victims of xenophobia changing。The book progresses through US history highlighting different groups and the xenophobia they faced， from the Germans in colonial times， to the Catholics in the mid-1800's， to the Chinese in the later 1800's， Northern and Western Europeans in the early 1900's， Mexicans throughout the 1900's， Japanese in the mid-1900's， and Muslims in the 2000's。 While the book provides a good history lesson on the different groups targeted during different eras， it fails to fully connect all the dots。 The book often refers to the lies and misinformation spread by the oppressors， but rarely demonstrates or disproves these lies。 And as the chapters on the various targeted groups ends， it is never really explained what caused the public sentiment to shift。 While obviously a lot of xenophobia is still present today， how did the anti-German， anti-Catholic， anti-Jewish， anti-Japanese xenophobia of the past end？ Also， the book doesn't really distinguish between legal and illegal immigration at all， as it lumps them both together and labels opponents of illegal immigration just as xenophobic as those of all immigration。 I feel there was the opportunity here for some great insights， information， rebuttals that the author didn't even attempt to address。The book is clearly anti-xenophobia， pro-immigration， but serves as more of an interesting history lesson， than something that will provide ammo to help you change somebody's mind or disprove their false claims。 。。。more
Allyson
，
A fantastic synthesis of American immigration history， which demonstrates how xenophobia is not an aberration in US history but， rather， a defining feature of it。
Chris Peck
，
A powerful portrayal of centuries of xenophobic ideology and laws as they morphed from one group to the next and still persist today。 A quick summary: Catholics - Germans - Irish - Italians - Chinese - Mexicans - Japanese - Mexicans again - Muslims - and now AAPI。 Xenophobia is an American tradition。
Tom Niebergall
，
An important read。
Jerrid Kruse
，
From German， to Italian， to Irish， to Chinese， to Japanese， to Hispanic， to Islamic immigrants， the USA has always found someone to be the other and the less-than。 Our history against immigrants is long， but perhaps we can learn from this history。
Ricardo
，
A distressing history of xenophobia in North America。 Not written as an academic history， the narrative still tends to be a straight-forward recitation of facts。 The end result though， is no less devastating。 Prominent colonial writers in 1717 advocated for a halt to German immigration， citing that crime and poverty rose with their migration and that their general foreignness was a threat。 This argument has then been used by anti-immigrant forces ever since。 The book then details the litany of a A distressing history of xenophobia in North America。 Not written as an academic history， the narrative still tends to be a straight-forward recitation of facts。 The end result though， is no less devastating。 Prominent colonial writers in 1717 advocated for a halt to German immigration， citing that crime and poverty rose with their migration and that their general foreignness was a threat。 This argument has then been used by anti-immigrant forces ever since。 The book then details the litany of abuses against Chinese， Mexican and Jewish immigrants， right up until the demonization of Muslims in the early 21st century。 Erika Lee sees that Trump's anti-immigrant and Islamophobic polices are not aberrations or have appeared in a vacuum， but rather are concrete distillations of views that have been in the American undercurrent for over a century and rose precipitously since 9/11。 The hostile view of Islam was already institutionalized within some sectors of immigration enforcement， and all they needed was leadership to point them in a more restrictive path。She also points out how xenophobia has been whitewashed out of public historical discourse。 Citing the expulsion of Chinese immigrants from Seattle in the 1880s， she references a plaque that blames economic hardships on Seattle residents that resulted in racial instability; similar to the “economic anxiety” as an excuse among the more passionate supporters of President Trump。 While there is much darkness in here， Lee also points out that the system that condoned these policies also had the capacity to condemn it。 There are also stories of advocates in public offices and local communities that reminded other Americans of the promise of pan-ethnic inclusion。 But a weary eye needs to be maintained。 As Erika Lee makes clear， “By ignoring the deep roots of xenophobia in our past， we ignore the deep hold that xenophobia has in our present。” 。。。more
Leslie Ann
，
In this important book， Lee defines xenophobia as "a set of beliefs and ideas based on the premise that foreigners are threats to the nation and its people。" This term should not be confused with nativism， which was coined in the 19th century， when white Protestants claimed themselves as native Americans。Lee demonstrates how attitudes regarding immigrants—from Germans during colonial times to Muslims post-9/11—follow the same pattern: immigrants are initially heavily recruited as labor， then vil In this important book， Lee defines xenophobia as "a set of beliefs and ideas based on the premise that foreigners are threats to the nation and its people。" This term should not be confused with nativism， which was coined in the 19th century， when white Protestants claimed themselves as native Americans。Lee demonstrates how attitudes regarding immigrants—from Germans during colonial times to Muslims post-9/11—follow the same pattern: immigrants are initially heavily recruited as labor， then villainized as "bad immigrants" who "come without authorization， take away jobs from Americans， do not assimilate， [question the status quo，] rely on welfare， and hate America。" Efforts to regulate the immigration of such bad immigrants demonize them while ignoring the larger global problems （including US policies and intervention） that drive migration。 And why not: xenophobia helps American capitalism thrive by directing working-class resentment towards immigrants （even though they do not set the wage scale）， undermining interracial labor movements， and sustaining confidence in a meritocratic economy by celebrating "good （i。e。， capitalistic） immigrants。" I learned a lot: how the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 established the U。S。 as the first gatekeeping nation， created the paradigm of "good" vs "bad" immigrants， and defined "illegal immigration" as a crime; how Madison Grant's The Passing of the Great Race inspired Hitler; how Mexican-Americans were deported during the Depression and Japanese-Peruvians were deported to the U。S。 during WWII to be exchanged for American civilians stranded in Japan。 I have already read America Is in the Heart， but may read her other recommendations that humanize immigrants: The Melting Pot and The Promised Land。 Although I often found myself skimming this dry history， I agree with Lee that acknowledging the historical impact of xenophobia in our immigration laws and economic policies will help us stop "[replacing] one injustice with another"。 After all， We are living in an era of unprecedented global migration as economic， political， social， and environmental forces continue to drive people from their homes。 On our interconnected and warming planet， our future well-being will be inextricably connected to the well-being of those whom we might consider "strangers。" As all of humanity faces limited resources and opportunities， we cannot afford to practice the closed-mindedness and isolation that xenophobia promotes。 。。。more
Paul
，
This dive into the xenophobia coursing through American history might be better read than listened to。 The prose was awkward at times， and I couldn't tell if the narrator was slipping up or the writing wasn't crisp。 And the structure， going group-by-group， meant that the book was continuously and sometimes confusingly lapping back in time to cover the same hate filled policies and politics as they were directed at different groups。If you want a synopsis， just think of the excrement the former pr This dive into the xenophobia coursing through American history might be better read than listened to。 The prose was awkward at times， and I couldn't tell if the narrator was slipping up or the writing wasn't crisp。 And the structure， going group-by-group， meant that the book was continuously and sometimes confusingly lapping back in time to cover the same hate filled policies and politics as they were directed at different groups。If you want a synopsis， just think of the excrement the former president spewed when announcing his campaign， or of the unhinged apocalyptic ramblings at his inauguration， but directed at German， or Irish， or Chinese， or Japanese， or Mexican， or Italian， or Islamic， or other immigrants， and you'll get the picture。 Throughout our history， those who opposed new arrivals took the arguments and rhetoric that had allowed them to dehumanize Africans and indigenous Americans to justify enslavement and genocide and applied them to each of these groups in turn。 Ultimately， immigrants from Europe came to be seen as white， and in a generation or two they took up the charge against subsequent arrivals， with immigrants from Asia and Mexico receiving especially cruel treatment。It's a hard history， but the repetition signals how deep this thinking is in our national fiber and how tough it is to root out。 。。。more
Emi
，
What "Stamped from the Beginning" does， this work expands。A must have encyclopedia of every law that influences our current day racial divides。 Read， read， and read again。 What "Stamped from the Beginning" does， this work expands。A must have encyclopedia of every law that influences our current day racial divides。 Read， read， and read again。 。。。more
Ariel （ariel_reads）
，
A really good resource that ties historical US immigration fears together in a linear way to the present day。 Tons of further research provided in the back of the book as well。
Stephanie Ridiculous
，
Excellent。 This was a great insight into the specific and nuanced history of xenophobia and immigration in the US- it's so much worse and disgusting than your high school civics class was willing to tell you。 Please， read up on it！ It's still at work & reverberating today。 Excellent。 This was a great insight into the specific and nuanced history of xenophobia and immigration in the US- it's so much worse and disgusting than your high school civics class was willing to tell you。 Please， read up on it！ It's still at work & reverberating today。 。。。more
Tom
，
Essential reading if we are to change our futureFrom the very first chapter the author opens our eyes to the xenophobia at the heart of "American" culture and civilization。 Did you know that Germans were considered dirty， illiterate， and incapable of assimilation in colonial times？ Neither did I。 It's a history we need to know and teach， not in a breast beating sort of way， but in way that demands we live up to our promise as a better way to be in the world。 The historical insights alone are eno Essential reading if we are to change our futureFrom the very first chapter the author opens our eyes to the xenophobia at the heart of "American" culture and civilization。 Did you know that Germans were considered dirty， illiterate， and incapable of assimilation in colonial times？ Neither did I。 It's a history we need to know and teach， not in a breast beating sort of way， but in way that demands we live up to our promise as a better way to be in the world。 The historical insights alone are enough reason to read the book but read it also for hope。 。。。more
Megan
，
Excellent overview of xenophobic immigration patterns in the US。 I liked how specific this book was， with historical events and phrasing that reflects so much of what we see today。 I was stunned to learn about Peruvian Japanese people being deported to Texas and held in concentration camps because they were supposedly a threat to the US during WWII。 Insane。
MaterialAmbition
，
would have had my racial reckoning much sooner if this were required high school reading。 didn’t learn jack shit from my US History class。 makes me ashamed of being an american
Giselle
，
An important read that highlights the history of xenophobia and nativism in the US--Lee shows an ongoing pattern of xenophobia since the country's colonial period。 A must-read for anyone interested in US Immigration History， sociology， and race。 This book helped me understand the context behind my family's immigration experience。 Can't recommend this book enough！！ An important read that highlights the history of xenophobia and nativism in the US--Lee shows an ongoing pattern of xenophobia since the country's colonial period。 A must-read for anyone interested in US Immigration History， sociology， and race。 This book helped me understand the context behind my family's immigration experience。 Can't recommend this book enough！！ 。。。more
B
，
I learned a lot from this book。 So much of the history of xenophobia is just not discussed。 I never learned about the history of immigration policy at any point throughout my education - rather I just learned that America is a nation of immigrants with the implication being that Americans have always been welcoming and supportive to those coming here。 Of course， this is obviously not the case， if you merely extrapolate the current debate on immigration to the past。 Due to the subject matter， thi I learned a lot from this book。 So much of the history of xenophobia is just not discussed。 I never learned about the history of immigration policy at any point throughout my education - rather I just learned that America is a nation of immigrants with the implication being that Americans have always been welcoming and supportive to those coming here。 Of course， this is obviously not the case， if you merely extrapolate the current debate on immigration to the past。 Due to the subject matter， this is not an easy or "enjoyable" read， but it is something that every American should read。 。。。more
Scott
，
Erika Lee， history prof and award-winning author， brings the goods with "America for Americans: A History of Xenophobia in the United States。" In less than 350 pages of text， Dr。 Lee examines that Americans have had a "complicated" relationship with people from other countries， even as we celebrate that "we are a nation of immigrants" so frequently。 Indeed， one suspects that Dr。 Lee left a number of illustrative anecdotes and historical events out of her narrative， and that is a sobering thought Erika Lee， history prof and award-winning author， brings the goods with "America for Americans: A History of Xenophobia in the United States。" In less than 350 pages of text， Dr。 Lee examines that Americans have had a "complicated" relationship with people from other countries， even as we celebrate that "we are a nation of immigrants" so frequently。 Indeed， one suspects that Dr。 Lee left a number of illustrative anecdotes and historical events out of her narrative， and that is a sobering thought。On the plus side， Dr。 Lee writes clearly and without flourish 。 。 。 she lets the facts speak for themselves。 And there are so many facts。 From the early pages in which she quotes Ben Franklin at length as he indicted the latest wave of foreigners arriving in Pennsylvania as "swarthy，" "ignorant，" "stupid，" and not likely to be good stewards of "Liberty。" These immigrants were Germans。 Such harsh language flowing from the pen of arguably our most beloved Founding Father is jarring， to say the least。Unfortunately， the United States has had a strong current of xenophobia flowing through virtually every chapter of our history， and most nationalities have been the target of that xenophobia at one time or another。 This goes far beyond the Big Events in U。S。 history that most of us know - such as the Japanese internment camps of World War II。 I'm on the West Coast， and I've talked with friends from the East Coast who cannot believe that the United States ever excluded Chinese immigrants from coming here。 But it's true。 It's also true that at different times， the Irish and Italians were as reviled by certain national leaders in terms as harsh as anything heard today on Fox News about caravans from Central America invading the United States。To a certain extent， xenophobia is a world problem 。 。 。 Dr。 Lee never argues that the United States invented it， or even perfected it。 But she calls us out for failing to recognize that xenophobia has played a large role in our history， and if we are not careful， it can （and has） become official government policy。 This is true both at the national level and the state level - Dr。 Lee writes a powerful chapter about California's recent anti-immigrant policies， for example。 And California is not unique among the states in this regard。It is hard to challenge Dr。 Lee on any point without sounding a bit like Tucker Carlson， but she does swing and miss a few times。 Generally speaking， Dr。 Lee's definition of xenophobia appears to be overly broad。 For example， she cites President Obama's extensive use of deportations as an example of xenophobia， but she does not really dive deep into those deportations。 Do we really think the Obama Administration was motivated by a fear of the "outsider"？ I'm sure there are entire books to be written about the Obama Administration's use of deportation， but it is overly simplistic to reduce it to an example of xenophobia without a closer analysis of the motives behind it。 Other examples are more nit-picky - is the use of Middle Eastern terrorists in "Back to the Future" really an example of xenophobia？But overall， Dr。 Lee's book is an important work that should be widely read。 America prides itself on being a beacon of hope to the world， and the Biden Administration appears to be working hard to reverse the ugly anti-immigration policies of the previous administration。 But we need to understand that xenophobia is not just something that the former President pushed， but has been a recurring theme in American political life for longer than we've had a country。 Understanding American xenophobia - and the hard work that is required to keep it as an undercurrent rather than the dominant current - is vital。 。。。more
John Hannam
，
A well researched and methodical account of the history of Xenophobia in the United States。 I appreciated the author's approach to defining when Xenophobia began to take place in the U。S。， and the various shapes it has taken throughout the country's history。 This factual recounting doesn't limit itself to the current state of xenophobia in the United States but compiles historical evidence to track the impact Xenophobia has played in US history and politics。 A great starting place for anyone int A well researched and methodical account of the history of Xenophobia in the United States。 I appreciated the author's approach to defining when Xenophobia began to take place in the U。S。， and the various shapes it has taken throughout the country's history。 This factual recounting doesn't limit itself to the current state of xenophobia in the United States but compiles historical evidence to track the impact Xenophobia has played in US history and politics。 A great starting place for anyone interested in furthering their knowledge on the subject of Xenophobia in the U。S。 and the various political machinations both parties have used to peddle lies and falsities to maintain their own sense of what it means to be "American"。 。。。more
Josh
，