Editorials & Other Articles

lostincalifornia

(4,794 posts) Sat Oct 25, 2025, 08:37 AM Oct 25

The 1920s Immigration Mistake America May Repeat

"The New York Times recently reported that the Trump administration is “considering a radical overhaul” of the refugee system in the US that would, in the publication’s estimation, “favor White people” by restricting immigration to English speakers, Europeans and White South Africans.

At first glance, this may seem like just another provocation on par with President Donald Trump’s profane rant against Haiti and African countries; his stated preference for immigrants from Norway, Denmark and Switzerland; his bizarre comments about immigrants carrying “bad genes” and other invective.

............

Significant opposition to these groups came from the nation’s self-described White Anglo-Saxon Protestant (WASP) elite. Members of this ruling class feared that the immigrants would soon displace them, particularly because their birthrates trailed the new arrivals. They spoke nervously of “race suicide” — forerunner of the “Great Replacement Theory” now peddled by anti-Semites and racists.

These fears got their most thorough and consequential airing in Madison Grant’s polemic, The Passing of the Great Race, first published in 1916. (Grant‘s family arrived in America in the 1620s.) A prominent eugenicist, he would later attract the admiration of Adolf Hitler, who described the book as his “Bible.”

https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2025-10-25/the-1920-s-immigration-mistake-america-may-repeat?srnd=homepage-americas

The article concludes with how those policies contributed to the deaths of millions of Jews trying to escape Nazi Germany, and how it wasn't until 40 years later when Congress passed the immigration Act of 1965 that the US finally retreated from the racism of the Johnson-Reed Act which set those wheels in motion.

To think that the US under trump is now attempting to try and become Germany in the 30's is disgusting as it is horrifying.

10 replies

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Highlight:

The 1920s Immigration Mistake America May Repeat (Original Post) lostincalifornia Oct 25 OP

Rinse and repeat...................... Lovie777 Oct 25 #1

I don't understand. My family has been in this country since the 1600s. And I welcome new people. Walleye Oct 25 #2

It is pure racism and xenophobia. lostincalifornia Oct 25 #3

"Maybe because I don't have a dick to worry about the size of" luv2fly Oct 25 #7

it's why I like living in a metroplex Skittles Oct 25 #9

I know people always go on and on about how different cultures can't get along. I tell them go to Brooklyn Walleye Oct 25 #10

Couple of things: no_hypocrisy Oct 25 #4

You many not be familiar with the name Paul Harvey, but he was a conservative radio host from lostincalifornia Oct 25 #6

Interesting. SSJVegeta Oct 25 #5

Europeans Deep State Witch Oct 25 #8

Lovie777

(20,951 posts)

1. Rinse and repeat......................

Reply to lostincalifornia (Original post)

Sat Oct 25, 2025, 08:40 AM

Oct 25

Walleye

(43,050 posts)

2. I don't understand. My family has been in this country since the 1600s. And I welcome new people.

Reply to lostincalifornia (Original post)

Sat Oct 25, 2025, 08:41 AM

Oct 25

I love when new and interesting cultures come into this country. And immigrants, we depend on to do the work. I just don’t understand the fear and the hatred that some white males seem to have. Maybe because I don’t have a dick to worry about the size of, sorry

lostincalifornia

(4,794 posts)

3. It is pure racism and xenophobia.

Reply to Walleye (Reply #2)

Sat Oct 25, 2025, 08:47 AM

Oct 25

luv2fly

(2,538 posts)

7. "Maybe because I don't have a dick to worry about the size of"

Reply to Walleye (Reply #2)

Sat Oct 25, 2025, 09:37 AM

Oct 25

Comments of that general nature directed towards women get skewered left and right on DU but dick references as being how men think and act are seemingly okay. It's insulting to half the population and gets old.

For the record I was with you until the last line of your post. Totally unnecessary.

Skittles

(168,397 posts)

9. it's why I like living in a metroplex

Reply to Walleye (Reply #2)

Sat Oct 25, 2025, 01:56 PM

Oct 25

I hear so many different languages, meet people from all over

Walleye

(43,050 posts)

10. I know people always go on and on about how different cultures can't get along. I tell them go to Brooklyn

Reply to Skittles (Reply #9)

Sat Oct 25, 2025, 02:05 PM

Oct 25

So many people been listening to right wing/ Russian propaganda for so long they are scared to go to the cities. I mean they’re afraid. I lived in New York City for 13 years, in the 80s. It was wonderful. just going out on the street and walking was always interesting. In all that time I only got robbed once and it was for $13 and it was because I let my guard down and showed a little money in the bodega at 3:00 AM It was snowing and I didn’t take precautions. still nothing happened to me. Couple of junkies with a very small knife They didn’t steal my beer. They didn’t steal my bike. and that was the only time I’ve ever had any conflict on the street

no_hypocrisy

(53,659 posts)

4. Couple of things:

Reply to lostincalifornia (Original post)

Sat Oct 25, 2025, 08:49 AM

Oct 25

A lot of these "refugees" want to "escape" from their own countries where white people aren't or aren't going to be the superior race/demographic and TSF is inviting them here.

And TSF is inviting more racists to come here to persecute and put non-white people "in their place".

lostincalifornia

(4,794 posts)

6. You many not be familiar with the name Paul Harvey, but he was a conservative radio host from

Reply to no_hypocrisy (Reply #4)

Sat Oct 25, 2025, 09:05 AM

Oct 25

the mid 20th century, where he coined the phrase "the browning of America".

At that time he was widely criticized for those remarks, but not fired for them from ABC.

Harvey's racism would fit right in to the ideology of the trump administration.

SSJVegeta

(1,933 posts)

5. Interesting.

Reply to lostincalifornia (Original post)

Sat Oct 25, 2025, 09:04 AM

Oct 25

Bring in people from -and educated by ,wealthy, democratic socialist nations who likely support such policies will likely not have the effect the right wing hopes it will.

Deep State Witch

(12,415 posts)

8. Europeans

Reply to lostincalifornia (Original post)

Sat Oct 25, 2025, 10:58 AM

Oct 25

Generally don't want to come here, unless they're conservatives who don't like paying higher taxes to fund social programs.

When we were in Italy last year, the driver on our golf cart tour was going through the process of emigrating to the US. We told him honestly to watch the election closely. If the Orange Turd wins, don't come. I hope that he took our advice.

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