Ever since Rep. Joe Wilson's Tourette's-like outburst of "you lie!" during President Obama's health care address last week, debate has swirled about the role of race in the incident.
Jimmy Carter himself said he thought Rep. Wilson's rebuke was "based on racism," and here at Facing South we were among the first to point to the Congressman's checkered record on black/white relations -- such as his 1999 claim during South Carolina's confederate flag debate that "the Confederate heritage is very honorable."
But the focus on Wilson v. Obama alone misses another important -- and growing -- factor in the politics of race in South Carolina and the country: immigration.
It's no coincidence that the line in Obama's address that forced Wilson to his feet focused on whether the Democratic health bill would cover immigrants who aren't in the country legally. Rep. Wilson has been at the forefront of the nativist -- and at times openly xenophobic -- right-wing movement against not only undocumented immigrants, but immigration in general.
In many ways, the Palmetto State is ground zero for the immigration debate. According to a Facing South analysis of U.S. Census data, South Carolina has had the fastest-growing Latino population in the entire country two years in a row.
That rapidly-changing racial reality is coming full-force against a deeply conservative political culture embodied by Rep. Joe Wilson. Wilson is a member of the House Immigration Reform Caucus, launched in 1999 by anti-immigrant spokesman ex-Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-CO). As Political Research Associates reports:
* Declare English as the official language of the U.S. (February 2007)
* Make government services available only in English (March 2008)
* In May 2004, he sponsored a bill to have undocumented people be reported to the police if they tried to receive emergency medical care.
Rep. Wilson has openly aligned with the most radical elements of the anti-immigrant movement. This includes the vigilante border patrol group the Minuteman Project, which has been linked to extreme right and racist elements.
Indeed, Rep. Wilson had been so supportive of Minuteman that there was a deep sense of betrayal when in 2005 Wilson expressed mild reservations about "Operation Spotlight," the group's plan to expand its vigilante activities beyond the Mexico-U.S. border to raid businesses suspected of hiring undocumented employees.
But the Minutemen PAC has put those quibbles aside over the last week, immediately sending out an appeal to defend the Congressman against "leftist attacks" for his interruption of the president. Here's a copy of the email appeal (h/t Zack Ford):
Other leading elements of the anti-immigrant movement have also swung behind Rep. Wilson. For example, as Stephanie Mencimer reporter in Mother Jones, the Americans for Legal Immigration PAC has urged its members nation-wide to support Wilson.
What does this all tell us? Racial politics are changing in the South -- especially in a state like South Carolina. And while Rep. Wilson's Obama outburst rightfully raised a discussion about the persistence of Old South mindsets, the incident shows how New South tensions over race and immigration threaten to be just as explosive.
Jimmy Carter himself said he thought Rep. Wilson's rebuke was "based on racism," and here at Facing South we were among the first to point to the Congressman's checkered record on black/white relations -- such as his 1999 claim during South Carolina's confederate flag debate that "the Confederate heritage is very honorable."
But the focus on Wilson v. Obama alone misses another important -- and growing -- factor in the politics of race in South Carolina and the country: immigration.
It's no coincidence that the line in Obama's address that forced Wilson to his feet focused on whether the Democratic health bill would cover immigrants who aren't in the country legally. Rep. Wilson has been at the forefront of the nativist -- and at times openly xenophobic -- right-wing movement against not only undocumented immigrants, but immigration in general.
In many ways, the Palmetto State is ground zero for the immigration debate. According to a Facing South analysis of U.S. Census data, South Carolina has had the fastest-growing Latino population in the entire country two years in a row.
That rapidly-changing racial reality is coming full-force against a deeply conservative political culture embodied by Rep. Joe Wilson. Wilson is a member of the House Immigration Reform Caucus, launched in 1999 by anti-immigrant spokesman ex-Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-CO). As Political Research Associates reports:
According to caucus member Rep. Tom Price (R-GA), the main goals of the congressional group are to combat the purportedly "explosive growth" in "illegal immigration" to the United States, reverse the growth of legal immigration, and halt efforts to provide what he calls a "mini-amnesty" for undocumented migrants.From his perch at the caucus, Rep. Wilson has been a leader in pushing a right-wing nativist agenda. Rep. Wilson has spearheaded legislation to:
* Declare English as the official language of the U.S. (February 2007)
* Make government services available only in English (March 2008)
* In May 2004, he sponsored a bill to have undocumented people be reported to the police if they tried to receive emergency medical care.
Rep. Wilson has openly aligned with the most radical elements of the anti-immigrant movement. This includes the vigilante border patrol group the Minuteman Project, which has been linked to extreme right and racist elements.
Indeed, Rep. Wilson had been so supportive of Minuteman that there was a deep sense of betrayal when in 2005 Wilson expressed mild reservations about "Operation Spotlight," the group's plan to expand its vigilante activities beyond the Mexico-U.S. border to raid businesses suspected of hiring undocumented employees.
But the Minutemen PAC has put those quibbles aside over the last week, immediately sending out an appeal to defend the Congressman against "leftist attacks" for his interruption of the president. Here's a copy of the email appeal (h/t Zack Ford):
Other leading elements of the anti-immigrant movement have also swung behind Rep. Wilson. For example, as Stephanie Mencimer reporter in Mother Jones, the Americans for Legal Immigration PAC has urged its members nation-wide to support Wilson.
What does this all tell us? Racial politics are changing in the South -- especially in a state like South Carolina. And while Rep. Wilson's Obama outburst rightfully raised a discussion about the persistence of Old South mindsets, the incident shows how New South tensions over race and immigration threaten to be just as explosive.
When I read about immigration issues in your paper I invariably find the comments of supporters of the illegal immigrants. These comments unfailingly portray the illegal immigrants as victims of a failed immigration system. The fact is these people are here illegally. They have snubbed their noses at our laws. They take advantage of services that were never intended for nor funded for them. They cost legitimate tax payers and health insurance payers billions of dollars more than would otherwise be necessary if the illegal immigants weren't here. The real victims are the American citizens and legal immigrants forced to foot the bill. The bad guys ARE the illegal immigrants.
September 18, 2009 10:41 AM | Reply
Thank you for this insightful article about the real elephant in the room - racism/xenophobia against immigrants, as evidenced by the comment above. "Illegal" immigrants are not the enemy - in fact they contribute much more to our economy than they receive in return. Also, being "illegal" is not a character trait or a permanent label, people fall out of status or gain status every day. To label a group of such diverse folks as "the bad guys" is incredibly flawed logic and comes from fear and ignorance. It makes me wonder what stereotypes or racist notions are behind comments like this - just like this article points out. The truth is that immigrants are US, undocumented or no, they are our family members, friends, coworkers, and equals.
September 18, 2009 2:25 PM | Reply
Bob Day, You left out a few things in your description. They pick our crops; they slaughter and package our meats; they clean our buildings and our dishes; they sew our clothes; they build our roads; and they care for many of our children.
Many Americans do these things, too, and illegal immigration is a problem, but the solution is not to demonize those who work so hard for low wages to make our lives better. The solution is (1) to create a reasonable way for them to get legal and (2) to update our legal immigration system so that it better reflects our global economy and makes a better match between our economic needs and the numbers who come here legally.
September 18, 2009 2:48 PM | Reply
Thank you, Sanity Please. The hateful and narrow minded blinders that Bob Day and other like him wear prevent them from seeing a reality that seems so obvious to everyone else. We need solutions, yes, to the problems with immigration, but we also benefit from the work these people do, whether we know it or not. Making them out to be what they are not doesn't help us move ahead with this, and solve the problem.
September 18, 2009 5:23 PM | Reply
I think that racially motivated remarks and actions have to be exposed and condemned for what they are. If we condone this type of behavior, we'll just make it worst. Instead of shouting through the halls of Congress how about legislators calmly sit down, put politics aside, and solve some of America's toughest issues.
September 19, 2009 1:19 PM | Reply
Look at who is opposing a comprehensive immigration reform: angry, old, southern white males. Talk about stereotypes and persisting racism in the South.
Joe Wilson has nothing on Jeffrey Beauregard Sessions, a Seantor from Alabama, a man fit for 1842. Also, among the staunch opponents to an immigration reform are Rep. Heath Shuler (South Carolina), Rep. Jim Marshall (Georgia), etc.
The South is still very much a hateful, backward, racist place, and if , w/ changing demographics, GOP continues to associate itself w/ modern-day KKK organizations such as FAIR and Numbers USA, the GOP is doomed: it will never win another election.
BTW, make no mistake about it: a comprehensive immigration reform is a matter of when, not if. Racism always loses in America. Did you hear that, Billy Bob?
September 22, 2009 6:10 PM | Reply
So, if you are against ILLEGAL immigration, you are a racist. Thank you for enlighting me. I lived in Texas and have had many Hispanic friends, but now that I know I am a RACIST because I hate the idea of people coming in, and both taking advantage of our system, and being taken advantage by employers who don't want to pay for benefits or full wages, I now realize that I secretly hated all my Latino friends. I feel so much better now that it is in the open. Please, I am being sarcastic, of course.
I understand Mexico isn't the ideal place to live, but are we to support the world? And if we completely open our borders and allow corruption and laws to be broke, we will end up just as corrupt as Mexico. The camels back is breaking, and those of you who point out the advantage of paying less to these people for childcare and labor are the true hypocrites. It is racist to suggest they should work for less or get less benefits because they are Hispanic, but to allow them into this country and let them stay as illegal immigrants is ensuring they either will take advantage of our system, or be taken advantage of by less than honest employers. Is that your ideal America? We'll have an illegal sub-class of Americans that will get paid less by employers, but will get benefits paid by tax-payers through the government that will help make up the difference? Why not everyone just foster a Hispanic child, or better yet, move in a family into your home so you can have built in servants. That indeed, would be racist.
The point is, they are not LEGALLY Americans and we are not controlling our borders and criminals can come over just as easily as honest laborers and now we want to ensure they have all the benefits of law abiding Americans. I'm not saying illegal immigrants are all crooks, but if they are already here illegally and are already breaking the law, what is to stop them from claiming they have 5 kids instead of 2 to reap as many government given benefits as possible? Don't tell me that doesn't happen, because it does, and we aren't enforcing these laws closely enough. And they aren't being broken strictly by illegal immigrants either.
What is the point of a law, if no one enforces it? What is the point of having any laws if we pick and choose what we enforce? Do we really want chaos? Anarchy? It's not far behind.
The Acorn tapes are just a small example of non-profits actually encouraging this illegal type of activity. Why are more people not outraged that those kids were talking about bringing UNDERAGE Ecuadorian GIRLS illegally into the country to become PROSTITUTES? No, we'd rather keep busy calling politicians RACIST if they are against ILLEGAL immigration. Being racist is wrong, but you are a hypocrite if you don't hold people of ALL races accountable for ILLEGAL activity.
September 24, 2009 2:14 PM | Reply