White Man’s Burden

Mass deportation is now popular.

A majority of registered voters favor “a new national program to deport all undocumented immigrants currently living in the U.S. illegally,” 62-38%.

👀 A MAJORITY OF HISPANICS favor mass deportation, 53-47%.

Per @CBSNews / @YouGovAmerica poll: pic.twitter.com/EsUaEsE4im

— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) June 16, 2024

There is a not-so-subtle racism here. First, in the idea of  “Hispanic” as a block identifier, and then the idea that “immigrants” are largely “Hispanic,” and so, well…you know.

The group usually labeled Hispanic are usually more supportive of immigration control and enforcement than other groups. This is not news. Not every Hispanic (just assume the quotes. I think it’s a stupid and misleading label.) is an “illegal immigrant” who never got deported. Many are American citizens with deeper family roots than white people. So let’s stop with that ignorance, right now.

Second, it’s always popular to deport the “illegal immigrants.” That’s because they’re “illegal,” duh. Most people think that will remove the “undesirables,” but not the construction laborers and the guys who do their yard work, clean their houses, scrub their toilets, vacuum their offices, cook their barbecue and fried chicken and fast food, or run their favorite Mexican restaurant.

And they don’t think about the “invisibles” who provide their “pastures of plenty” (that Woody Guthrie song has never stopped being trenchant).

This poll just reflects the same American xenophobia and racism and class blindness we’ve ever had. Thinking we somehow eliminated it until Trump brought it back is the really disturbing thing. 

(FWIW, I got this tweet from Rupar, who has now deleted his tweet referencing it.)