America for Americans: A History of Xenophobia in the United States

About this book

The definitive history of American xenophobia, from the author of The Making of Asian America. "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 afterword reflecting on how the coronavirus pandemic turbocharged xenophobia, America for Americans is an urgent spur to action for any concerned citizen.

Details

Format

Paperback

ISBN-13

9781541672611

Publisher

Basic Books

Published

June 15, 2021

Pages

480

Weight

14.4 oz

Subject

Social Science