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Nativism
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Joshua Tario March.13/03 Nativism Nativism is not acceptable under any circumstances if it degrades a human being. Nativism is the feeling that immigration and foreigners are detrimental to native-born Americans. Unfortunately, nativist’s feelings are not based on political convenience or logical theories, but on ignorant assumptions that produce religious, racial, and cultural discrimination. Many nativist groups or individuals, both in the past and presently, have one thing in common- the fear of not being in control. The basic thing one has to see is that misinformation and short-sighted fear can often produce the absence of fairness and human dignity. The Know-Nothings expressed their nativist feelings and were prevalent in the 1850’s. The Know-Nothings had stunning success in the pre-Civil War era. The Know- Nothings were anti-foreign, anti-catholic, and anti-immigration. They became so eminent that in 1854, they formed a political party known as the American Party. Millard Fillmore, a future president, won the approval of the Know- Nothings and the Whig Party, who shared similar ideas. At this time the main reason for the Know-Nothing’s concern was the religious differences they had, particularly with the Irish, who were predominately Catholic. The discrimination of a religion is basically the belief of a religious superiority which leads to human discrimination; furthermore, the belief of human superiority is formed and this leads to the belief that a human is better that another human simply because of the choice of religion. The Ku Klux Klan was a racist group who also committed atrocities in the name of nativism. The KKKs were formed because many people were started to get afraid of the “rising power of the blacks” and also hated immigration and Jews. “What was the rising power of the blacks?” Is it because they were not slaves-Oh no!- or maybe because they simply wanted to vote, a constitutional right! Blacks were still treated like property in the South under the Jim Crow Laws. How is it that the government can become so blind under certain circumstances!- The blacks were denied their constitutional right to vote by various ways of intimidation; but yet the KKKs could basically do whatever they wanted and be protected by the supposedly constitutional idea that they had the right to express themselves. The KKKs were also anti-Semitic and anti-Semitism was prevalent in the U.S. How is it that the U.S. criticized Hitler 20-25 years later for showing hatred towards the Jews when in the 1920s, Jews were denied jobs on the basis of their religion or excluded from hotels and country clubs in the United States of America, democratic nation based on “equality of all men!” To understand immigration better one has to see the factors that produced and produce immigration to America. Industrialization and social changes in Europe produced mass immigration from countries like Germany, France, and Ireland. The Industrial Revolution transformed the small, agricultural society into a manufacturing economy which helped the U.S. to prosper and excel. Social changes was another major factor that stimulated immigration. Political upheavals, religious persecution, and a search for adventure were the basic reason for the relocation of these people. Why would they come to the U.S. to purposely try to create a political or cultural upheaval, if the whole reason they left their homelands was escape these problems? The truth of the matter is that they just wanted to seek a peaceful setting that they could create a family and contribute to American society. There were two types of immigrants- the old and the new. The old immigrants of the past( which consequently was also divided into old and new immigration categories) and the new immigrants of today; mostly the Hispanics and Asians.
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