# Why the sudden surge in Xenophobia? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 4, 2010, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-sudden-surge-in-xenophobia/549155 "2010-08-04T15:36:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![emacknight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3ec8ea/32.png) [@emacknight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emacknight)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2010, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-sudden-surge-in-xenophobia/549155/101 "2010-08-05T13:38:14Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > > [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > > > Your defense is a post that came after your initial claim. > > > > I feel like I’m watching Daffy Duck as Robin Hood take on Porky Pig as Friar Tuck. > > So YOU feel that, until Diana’s second post, no one was suggesting racism on the part of Republicans? Unless they specifically used the term racism, the rest is just your projection onto them. Do we need to revisit the hypocrite thread? > [@Bricker](#): > > No hint of an accusation of racism there? Muslim isn’t a race, it’s a religion. Were you not aware of that? Are you working off a different definition of racism? > [@Bricker](#): > > > [@](#): > > > > Because banning same sex marriage for the 4th time doesn’t sell as well to the base? > > Not a single hint or whiff of a suggestion of ‘evil’ there? Really? So now you’re switching from racism to evil? ---
**Author:** ![emacknight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3ec8ea/32.png) [@emacknight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emacknight)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2010, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-sudden-surge-in-xenophobia/549155/102 "2010-08-05T13:52:23Z")
> [@Inigo\_Montoya](#): > > > [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > > > Anyway, birthright citizenship for the children of non-residents _is_ kind of unusual. > > I wouldn’t want to hijack such a well-directed thread as this one, but…how many/which other countries have this? > > In response to the OP: I’m no racist, but why not review a 145 year-old law? It served a purpose when _Tom Sawyer_ was relevant, our flag only had 37 stars, our map had 50% of its area, and automobiles, machine guns, HP Lovecraft and interstate highways had not yet darkened our landscape. Perhaps our role in international politics and our socioeconomic profile has changed just a bit since the time when this seemed like a good idea. > > And yes, that means why not review portions of that document that are nearly a century older still? I can’t speak with any degree of certainty, but I have to wonder if The Founding Fathers ever truly believed their work would have endured this long. To answer your second question: **GASP** how dare you question the Fathers. If you start asking if this amendment is stupid, ill-thought out, and not applicable to today’s world, what happens when you look at the others?!?! To answer your specific question: citizenship is generally passed by heritage, or by earth. In other words, your citizenship is either based on your parent’s citizenship, or by where you were born. Some countries take these to extremes, while others use a bit of both. The US mainly uses earth, but Americans can also register babies born overseas. In some Middle Eastern countries, citizenship is based on your father’s citizenship. So millions of foreigners can live, work, and give birth in their country, without ever getting citizenship. I got Canadian citizenship because I was born in Canada. But I got Irish citizenship because my grandfather was born in Ireland. But likewise, if you gave birth in Ireland, you could get both Irish citizenship by earth, and then register American citizenship by decent. ---
**Author:** ![LonesomePolecat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a88e57/32.png) [@LonesomePolecat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LonesomePolecat)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2010, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-sudden-surge-in-xenophobia/549155/103 "2010-08-05T13:58:35Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > > [@Plan\_B](#): > > > > Definitely, I think there are a lot of possible changes and additions that are worth discussing. > > > > Do you think it’s perfect as of August 4, 2010? > > Why do you hate babies so much you want to deny them freedom? Do you hate them so much you’ll let them be killed in the womb? ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2010, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-sudden-surge-in-xenophobia/549155/104 "2010-08-05T14:00:36Z")
> [@emacknight](#): > > Unless they specifically used the term racism, the rest is just your projection onto them. Do we need to revisit the hypocrite thread? Nope. As I cheerfully conceded above: > [@Bricker](#): > > OK, I jumped the gun here. Xenophobia is not racism. I apologize and withdraw that charge, except as to DianaG. I think it’s clear from her subsequent post that she did mean - as of then, anyway - to accuse the GOP of racism. But as to the others, you’re right: I ascribed motives that weren’t stated. My bad. Withdrawn, and apologized for. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Midnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@Captain\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Midnight)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2010, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-sudden-surge-in-xenophobia/549155/105 "2010-08-05T14:11:31Z")
The 14th Amendment is stupid and badly worded and definitely needs to be changed or repealed. Why does a child, born of a non-citizen automatically beomes a citizen? Even a foreigner on vacation in the USA could have a child there and the child would be a citizen. Many people including myself wants this abolished because it promotes foreign pregnant women to sneak across the border to have a baby on the taxpayers. Then since the woman is a mother of a citizen, she gets to stay too. Then the mother invites all of her relatives to come. All the welfare consumed by the invader, multiple babies and family members robs working people of their money (taxes) while forcing them to live in worse and worse conditions. 28 people in a two bedroom house, beer bottles in the yard, drunk drivers galore. Working meat packing plant jobs, on welfare and/or selling drugs. I know most of you on this board love “diversity” (as long as it is not in your neighborhood of course), well, this is it. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2010, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-sudden-surge-in-xenophobia/549155/106 "2010-08-05T14:12:29Z")
> [@Captain\_Midnight](#): > > Why does a child, born of a non-citizen automatically beomes a citizen? Even a foreigner on vacation in the USA could have a child there and the child would be a citizen. I know, right? This is a pretty great country. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2010, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-sudden-surge-in-xenophobia/549155/107 "2010-08-05T14:19:26Z")
> [@Inigo\_Montoya](#): > > > [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > > > Anyway, birthright citizenship for the children of non-residents _is_ kind of unusual. > > I wouldn’t want to hijack such a well-directed thread as this one, but…how many/which other countries have this? The only supposedly list easily found on the internet is [the one on Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jus_soli#Specific_national_legislation), which is taken from the website of NumbersUSA. NumbersUSA is an anti-immigration group, so I presume they define the matter as strictly as possible, and the list does not claim to be exhaustive anyway. In any case, it is not a large number: 33, according to them. Nearly all of the countries that confer automatic citizenship on the sole basis of _jus soli_ are in the Americas. Most are relatively sparsely populated (like us). Most other “developed” nations have a combination of _jus soli_ and _jus sanguinus_ policies. Typically, a child born on the soil of Country X to a legal resident of Country X is an automatic citizen, while a child born on the soil of Country X to a visitor or illegal resident is not. On the other hand, the latter child would automatically become eligible for citizenship at the age of 18, or at such a time as his or her parent either became a legal resident or a citizen (depends). > [@Plan\_B](#): > > > [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > > > Do you think it _should_ be changed? > > Definitely, I think there are a lot of possible changes and additions that are worth discussing. > > Do you think it’s perfect as of August 4, 2010? Of course not. However, we’re not really talking about the Constitution as a whole; we’re talking about the portions which relate to citizenship. On the whole, I think we’re doing quite well with things as they are in that regard. That said, the procedures for granting citizenship are frankly not in line with the Constitution as things currently stand. It’s none of your business if I’ve ever been a member of a communist party or any other totalitarian party. Why are you asking? [QUOTE=Captain Midnight] Many people including myself wants this abolished because it promotes foreign pregnant women to sneak across the border to have a baby on the taxpayers. Then since the woman is a mother of a citizen, she gets to stay too. Then the mother invites all of her relatives to come. [/QUOTE] Posting bitchy screeds about things you don’t understand makes you look _really_ stupid. You don’t get to stay in the US because you’re the “mother of a citizen”. If ICE picks up the mother, she gets deported, just like anyone else. The baby goes too - or she can put it up for adoption. When come back, bring facts, moron. ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2010, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-sudden-surge-in-xenophobia/549155/108 "2010-08-05T14:31:15Z")
> [@Inigo\_Montoya](#): > > Which one? > Civil Rights Act of 1964 was introduced by JFK (Democrat) > Civil Rights Act of 1874 was championed largely by Charles Sumner (Republican) Of course, back then Republicans were all about equal rights in a more … well, more than they are today. I’m referring to this: > [@Wiki's C.R.A. of 1964](#): > > By party > The original House version:[10] > > Democratic Party: 152-96 (61%–39%) > Republican Party: 138-34 (80%–20%) > Cloture in the Senate:[11] > > Democratic Party: 44-23 (66%–34%) > Republican Party: 27-6 (82%–18%) > The Senate version:[10] > > Democratic Party: 46-21 (69%–31%) > Republican Party: 27-6 (82%–18%) > The Senate version, voted on by the House:[10] > > Democratic Party: 153-91 (63%–37%) > Republican Party: 136-35 (80%–20%) ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2010, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-sudden-surge-in-xenophobia/549155/109 "2010-08-05T14:37:54Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > You don’t get to stay in the US because you’re the “mother of a citizen”. If ICE picks up the mother, she gets deported, just like anyone else. The baby goes too - or she can put it up for adoption. > > When come back, bring facts, moron. That’s not true. You seem to think the U.S. deports illegal aliens they come across. What really happens is that they go to immigration court and are frequently granted relief. This is especially true in the case of citizens’ parents. However, a U.S. citizen is not allowed to petition for naturalization of a parent until they’re 21 years old. So in a sense, they’re more like “anchor children” than “anchor babies” As my coworker, a 30+ year vet of immigration enforcement, says: “Judges consider whether or not deportation of the parents would cause an undue hardship on the citizen.” Key words: Undue hardship. In my experience, it’s true that moms aren’t going to get deported. But then again, most people don’t anyway, children or not. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2010, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-sudden-surge-in-xenophobia/549155/110 "2010-08-05T14:42:57Z")
The point is that they are no less likely to be deported than illegal immigrants who do not have citizen children, regardless of what your friend says. Several bills have been introduced which would allow judges to consider family status in deportation cases, and they have all failed. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2010, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-sudden-surge-in-xenophobia/549155/111 "2010-08-05T14:54:14Z")
> [@Lightnin](#): > > Of the 16 threads right now on the Hannity forums, 5 of them are directly race-related (the others can, of course, be summed up as “Liberals suck”). > > But I’m sure that \*\*Bricker \*\*will be along any moment now and offer us a different, more Conservative-friendly explanation. What was that old old saying? The simplest answer is the right one Or something like that. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2010, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-sudden-surge-in-xenophobia/549155/112 "2010-08-05T15:04:13Z")
> [@Captain\_Midnight](#): > > Then since the woman is a mother of a citizen, she gets to stay too. Then the mother invites all of her relatives to come. But this statement is not true. The mother can be deported, even if she has a citizen child. ETA: which is already discussed above. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![LonesomePolecat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a88e57/32.png) [@LonesomePolecat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LonesomePolecat)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2010, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-sudden-surge-in-xenophobia/549155/113 "2010-08-05T15:09:37Z")
Most whites know that becoming a minority can never be a good thing for us, that the rate of immigration (both legal and illegal) passed the rate of assimililation a long time ago, and that the country is becoming Balkanized. They see that America is slowly becoming a third world country, and they know the endless introduction of new immigrants is creating racial and ethnic fault lines that are likely to give way under stress. They know as well that the endless stream of immigrants complicates every other problem we have such as unemployment, failing schools, environmental degradation, overloaded infrastructure and social support systems, and crime. This is common sense, not racism and xenophobia. Snarling about how racist and xenophobic this common sense attitude is supposed to be ony shows the depths of the loathing and contempt that most white progressives feel for their fellow whites. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2010, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-sudden-surge-in-xenophobia/549155/114 "2010-08-05T15:10:46Z")
Not all of them. Just you, really. ---
**Author:** ![LonesomePolecat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a88e57/32.png) [@LonesomePolecat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LonesomePolecat)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2010, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-sudden-surge-in-xenophobia/549155/115 "2010-08-05T15:21:03Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Not all of them. Just you, really. (shrug) I didn’t say all of them. It’s safe to say most of them do, as evidenced by the numerous polls which show overwhelming support for strict control of immigration. ---
**Author:** ![emacknight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3ec8ea/32.png) [@emacknight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emacknight)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2010, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-sudden-surge-in-xenophobia/549155/116 "2010-08-05T15:22:56Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > > [@emacknight](#): > > > > Unless they specifically used the term racism, the rest is just your projection onto them. Do we need to revisit the hypocrite thread? > > Nope. As I cheerfully conceded above: > > > [@Bricker](#): > > > > OK, I jumped the gun here. Xenophobia is not racism. I apologize and withdraw that charge, except as to DianaG. > > I think it’s clear from her subsequent post that she did mean - as of then, anyway - to accuse the GOP of racism. But as to the others, you’re right: I ascribed motives that weren’t stated. My bad. Withdrawn, and apologized for. I also need to apologize, when I replied I thought that was the last post and didn’t realize there were two more pages. ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2010, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-sudden-surge-in-xenophobia/549155/117 "2010-08-05T15:25:05Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > The point is that they are no less likely to be deported than illegal immigrants who do not have citizen children And my point is that this is utterly false. I’d love to hang around and debate this with you, but I’ve got to get some work done today. These aliens aren’t going to deport themselves, y’know. ---
**Author:** ![emacknight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3ec8ea/32.png) [@emacknight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emacknight)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2010, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-sudden-surge-in-xenophobia/549155/118 "2010-08-05T15:26:47Z")
> [@Captain\_Midnight](#): > > The 14th Amendment is stupid and badly worded and definitely needs to be changed or repealed. While we’ve got the car up on the jack, and we’re tinkering with the engine, perhaps we could look at some of the other retardly outdated amendments. The 1st looks fine, maybe we could address the 2nd before moving on to 3-14. I must say, I love that all the answers to this are as simple as saying ,“It’s constitutional bitch, suck it!” ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2010, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-sudden-surge-in-xenophobia/549155/119 "2010-08-05T15:30:57Z")
> [@Chessic\_Sense](#): > > > [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > > > The point is that they are no less likely to be deported than illegal immigrants who do not have citizen children > > And my point is that this is utterly false. I’d love to hang around and debate this with you, but I’ve got to get some work done today. These aliens aren’t going to deport themselves, y’know. Then I’m sure you can provide a citation. Other than that guy you work with, of course. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2010, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-sudden-surge-in-xenophobia/549155/120 "2010-08-05T15:33:07Z")
> [@LonesomePolecat](#): > > Most whites know that becoming a minority can never be a good thing for us … Us? What ‘us’ is that. All us whites? We all have a shared vested in interest in not having un-whites around us? How your cranium doesn’t implode foisting that bullshit and following it up with: > [@](#): > > This is common sense, not racism and xenophobia. … has got be a medical mystery. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-sudden-surge-in-xenophobia/549155.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-sudden-surge-in-xenophobia/549155.md?page=7)