It is a selfinflicted wound. Malcolm x in particular and that is a misnomer you can call people. [applause] government abuse is onesided. I care about freespeech and the First Amendment i was so libertarian for this. And i had written from the left for my column on the wall street journal i assumed i would have staff on the right to. [inaudible conversations] good morning. Thankyou everyone for the book festival i cannot count on saree. I was asked but thanks for your coming down to to the san antonio book festival. I want to remind you that end at the end of morriss comments there will be a microphone that is passed around and it reminded us immediately after the session and the question of the proceeds so good morning this is one of the best days whether wyse and i think it will stay that way. It is my honor to moderate this panel on the book, white backlash immigration, race, and american politics we urination of immigrants said immigration has always been a tradition were a multiracial republican republic but is low and excepting to give such diversity it is woven into our history of politics and long before the candidate talk about an imaginary wall of that metaphorical wall inside the borders for those who are welcoming. Into barely define our politics in in the book white backlash immigration, race, and american politics they write this book is about race as much as it is immigration it is changing in the United States but there frequently noticed through a lens of race. The images are that of latino immigrants. Marisa abrajano is an associate professor from the university of california san diego. Also a senior fellow at the brookings institution. For Research Interest of the areas of latino politics political participation and the Mass Media Campaign she is the author of campaigning the new american electorate of new faces and new voices. Please welcome to san antonio doctor marisa abrajano. [applause] thanks for that kind introduction and thanks for coming. I just want to talk about the goal of the book as well as the Main Research question then so eloquently stated it is a central part of the United States via often thought about as a country of immigrants and today more than never it plays a messalians role of american politics. En demographically to make up 12 of the population and comes racial change that latinos surpass blacks the largest in the United States making a 17 part of the population and then they will lose majority status this demographic transformation raises hopes then immigrants continue to fight still a vital economic role multiracial and Ethnic Society but at the same time it also engenders year on many individuals in the public. And as they take jobs away from nativeborn americans leading to a cultural demise. As well as the fact that these immigrants have talked about as overly relying on the welfare system. So all these have the potential to lead to a backlash is essentially that is the main question that we pose an hour book, how was the transformation affecting u. S. Policy . We examined if immigration is affecting for political decisions of White Americans who still make up the majority of the public and more importantly the majority of the voting public. Is especially important to look at how immigration influences partisanship, voting behavior as well as policy positions and while the year not the first to look at the different issues affect these political behaviors and to look at the core political decisions. Our theory is pretty straightforward refers to argue that immigration is too big to messes 25 of the population is a key issue of Politics Today we only have to look at the president ial race to another nearly every conversation and all the debates that played a central role in all of these conversations on top of the fact immigration becomes more and more relevant to our everyday life, and is largely espoused by the media and political elites. This narrative has negative aspects of immigration not so much on the positive side. Whether not these costs and benefits are true 70 percent that immigration is a burden to u. S. Society 62 think they add to the crime problem and 59 percent think that immigrants take jobs away from nativeborn americans. Along with this prevalent threat narrative they have distinct positions as republicans have a much more restrictive position where democrats are agnostic or they tend to support a more in cruciform on Immigration Reform and policy making. So we make the following argument in the book both racially and ethnically many believe immigration is driving dash changes in the Republican Party offers stronger opposition so for many this is a powerful motivation for the Republican Party. Of course, we have seen this before in our past believe need to go back to the 60s to see those that defected to the Republican Party we have seen immigration in backlash at different points of history with the wave of immigrants coming in and also look for the two studies that have been conducted in europe with largescale support for the right wing immigrant party slow this backlash his not novel or new but along a thread of our history specifically from the United States on the way immigration can shift the core political decisions. The way we test our theory is we analyze phallic that Public Opinion and voting preferences and the patterns so maurer negative views of undocumented immigrants to sova identify as republicans and on the heavyhanded you half a positive view that is associated to the Democratic Party as well was the stronger affiliation. And what is notable is the relationships with those attitudes even when we account for other factors my religious affiliation affiliation, political ideology. The book also goes into another analysis but in fact, the media is biased coverage of immigration and in the way they talk about immigration and we find that the size of sex of policies and when that is large enough but that overall pattern for the Research Uncovers is that White Americans of negative views of immigration are more likely to identify as republican, of the republican and support policies and with the criminaljustice in education in health care for crowfoot and with research is that makes the case is now the core of politics no longer a perjury issue is an important issue every couple of years and what we are witnessing a say backlash and despite some of the commentary in frederick that we move into opposed racial era that is far from the reality to raises more than ever before if we just looked at the conversations and the debate from the president ial race. And i want to leave ones thoughts as i conclude is there a response to the backlash . Particularly those who are being attacked at the center of this backlash of the large immigrant population in the United States in there is potential for a positive outcome in the 1984 he passed in supported restrictive measures limiting social Service Benefits for undocumented immigrants in mobilize latinos in california every year starting to see some of those same movements that trump is attacking them that is motivating those routes the nation to register in higher numbers and if we look back to see these instances where groups are targeted by political elite one of the positive benefits is it can increase the rate of turnout of political participation amongst the group that is far from achieving the full political potential. But despite the climate animosity it is said it devised so what does that say about the ability. When we make the argument that everybody has this restrictive position that is in the case. And the part of the political system and the differences end at the end of the day to preserve those some structures ended is important to have disagreement and thats but as for the future of the Republican Party in for this strategy that have employed this are specifically towards immigrants is the of very successful shortterm strategy and talk about the longterm implications it really has more of a potentially negative outcome in the sense to engender support of those who just turned 80 nor registered to vote and those are eligible to vote having this type of rhetoric is not your best prospects in the up Party Affiliation that is a strategic game right now that isnt the most wisest. But what do they do. What they did was to adopt policies were more inclusive and we havent seen that among the Republican Partys the there was a lot of conversation after the election that it is time that they have the opportunity now to change the conversation that we havent seen much evidence for that. The dad is a decision that they made but not from something that can be changed in the future. When you were doing the research did you find any statistical difference to those who were opposed to illegal immigration immigrants in general . An excellent question. Were talking about undocumented and legal. Even with the analysis the relationship stays the same but other political scientists have found if you ask the American Public about immigration, what they think about is undocumented biddle think about legal immigration. Parts of that is because that is what the framing is about to and implicitly with illegality with immigration in citizenship in the racial or ethnic group associated with that. All immigrants process and have assimilated in 1907 coming into this area for many years to see that acculturation because of the irish and italians . Absolutely. We all look specifically at the patterns with excellent researchers that have looked at that question and there is strong evidence to assimilate than similar rates as previous. But the one big difference to the earlier counterparts of the larger european immigrants the nine white racial status. That makes their process markedly different from the earlier european immigrants from even one or two generations could assimilate into White America. Agents and immigrants and it isnt as easily possible for them. I have a question of the perceived racial identity of latinos. And then to cents spaded european then why isnt a multiracial is it just that indigenous . Or how White America sees them that spain is banishes european . The answer to that have a latino immigrants coming into the United States but they were not welcomed but when latinos in the majority of mexican americans came to United States favored treated as secondclass citizens in our never afforded the same type of White Privilege the european immigrants have. So that from the very beginning of those policies automatically put them in a category from white european backgrounds and interestingly enough even though they cant sell identify because large historical circumstances has never viewed them also as the nonwhite status. In some ways your immigrant status is then measured for minorities and ethnic or racial minorities so with that survey data data, americans you emigrants and this focuses primarily the attitudes of White Americans but i have looked at that question, and attitudes vary by ethnic or racial groups in for a certain period up to the 1980s there was intention in the way black attitudes fought about immigration isis source of competition that has changed significantly so blacks are much more like others with a policy position towards immigration. Can you repeat the percentage of foreignborn . 12 . If you just look at uh latino population. That Employment Data indicate yesterday showing 8234 age group latino or around 12 and white to around seven. Into you think that backlash has much to do with the current unemployment among young adults . The data and does not allow us from us for our analysis but i imagine there potentially is other research to shed some light on that. Of the similarities of the 1800s and quite frankly of early dervish immigration and then you get into a great movie made about it of the riots and there was with is going on now as good as is the implied. The book doesnt go back specifically to the spirit of times there are other works the deal much more indepth investigation that what i would say to that period if history you are referencing that is very much the case when day came to the United States they were on par with africanamerican slaves with their racial hierarchy structure but the one difference and i have to say the nonwhite status that the irish immigrants that woodland themselves is possible. But that isnt the same kind of pattern and assimilation but to show how the irish became white because this traces that process those of the most hated and discriminated groups in the United States and today it is part of White America and for the nonwhite immigrants the. Bit one they havent quite gotten to that point but most importantly did you do any research of venture ethnicity competition and attitude towards immigration specifically to a anecdotes i recall the first to read with interest to the convention gorgeous blue eyes and a blonde haired women that your father must be hispanic. In there is a distinct difference of that population and in mexico. And long before anglos and i of more issues then all of you but but specifically with is interesting. Those are Great Questions not in this book but i have looked extensively at how latino attitudes vary by their National Origin with the points that you raise are empirically true. Cubans are very distinct the most under the latino population because of their traditionally strong allegiance to the Republican Party and support for republican candidates so that sets them apart as well as the fact with the eppley made this is a very diverse and heterogeneous Community Citizen just depend on what the u. S. Government made up but encompasses individuals from so many countries and backgrounds it is almost like what does the been mean to be latino and generational status to matters what they think about immigration or how they feel about education policy or a whole host of issues country of origin and is one of the two strongest predictors to explain their attitude. There is a huge amount of heterogeneity with these two factors you raise of National Origin as well as how long they have been in the United States. So for example, is your fourth generation and latino you tend to be less supportive of inclusive immigration policy so your view tends to be much closer to what america can they and the foreignborn latinos to have very different positions because that finigan experience is much more closer but after three or four generations of those attitudes stir to mirror the general public which is the point you raised. One other point about cubans is remember history and how they came to the United States and their reception when they came here. Of first wave of the golden exile of cuban migration for those who had vastly different resources than the typical immigrants. Their professionals professionals, Resources Available in terms of income , and the benefits the government gave them was unprecedented so think about where cubanamericans are today politically and why theyre so different from mexicanamericans we cannot forget how they came to the u. S. With the immigration policies that helped them that virtually no other immigrants have ever received to this day that is something it is important to think about the variations of the latino community. I have a question about what you just said and is there a correlation between the hardship of illegal immigration of up processes nearly impossible it is very expensive and the view of the general White Americans the more the system is hard so it is sad day correlation . So that correlation between how difficult immigration is . Again, while we would expect that to be the case for the most part at least in these Public Opinion polls there isnt much distinction made when immigration is discussed in the manner that you talk about or the question on immigration is asked differently because for the majority of americans when they think about immigration they are automatically the first thought that comes to their head is undocumented so even being given that reality that is very costly to get a b said it doesnt enter into the calculation of their overall opinions. The short answer is no matter how you phrase the question American Public is generally opposed to more immigration they either oppose it or just want to keep the levels that status quo. I was wondering why do think there isnt more shame attached to the antiimmigrant sentiment among whites . That would seem that if they had the same attitude it was an issue of the entire party against an africanamerican then there would be tremendous shave because of where we are in American History with the post civilrights era with black lives matter era the issue that we still deal with where people feel a lot of change when they see discrimination or Police Fatality still happening but the fact the major republican candidates can take up the mantle of antiimmigrant sentiment and that is seen as acceptable acceptable, why do you think thatd is acceptable political issue . This