Thursday, October 31, 2024

The Conversation: How Trump’s racist talk of immigrant ‘bad genes’ echoes some of the last century’s darkest ideas about eugenics

Shannon Bow O'Brien

In How Trump’s racist talk of immigrant ‘bad genes’ echoes some of the last century’s darkest ideas about eugenics for The Conversation, Shannon Bow O'Brien analyzes Trump’s comments against immigrants of color have prompted comparisons to the Nazis. But American and British theorists coined the theory of eugenics long before the Nazis rose to power.

O'Brien reminds us that racist eugenics theories gave us the Immigration Act of 1924, which established the national origins quotas system and barred immigration from Asia.  Her conclusion:

"Trump calls to mind an America First mentality, including when he regularly reads the lyrics to a song called `The Snake' during his rallies as a way to explain the dangers of welcoming immigrants into the U.S. The civil rights activist Oscar Brown wrote this poem in 1963, and his family has said that Trump misinterprets the song’s words.

‘I saved you,’ cried that woman.

‘And you’ve bit me even, why’

‘You know your bite is poisonous and now I’m going to die.’

‘Oh shut up, silly woman,’ said the reptile with a grin,

‘You knew damn well I was a snake before you took me in.’"

KJ

https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/immigration/2024/10/the-conversation-how-trumps-racist-talk-of-immigrant-bad-genes-echoes-some-of-the-last-centurys-dark.html

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