Link to New York Times article: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/18/nyregion/ny-farmers-undocumented-workers-trump-immigration.html

Summary:

In Chapter Four of White Backlash: Immigration, Race, and American Politics, Abrajano and Hajnal explore what is causing the response of white America to immigrants. They argue that a racial threat narrative has emerged in areas with larger Latino populations, and this higher Latino population in the area makes white Americans feel a “potential threat to white power and resources” (p.153). Abrajano and Hajnal also explore how feelings about immigration have a partisan context and can uniquely spill over to affecting views on other political issues, such as crime, healthcare, and welfare.

A recent New York Times article offers a different perspective of how white Americans respond to local immigrant communities. Specifically, the article focuses on the reaction of white Americans who depend on undocumented workers for their low-cost farm labor. Many of these white farmers are distancing themselves from President Trump’s anti-immigrant calls because without the labor of undocumented immigrants, there may not find a replacement. Interestingly, farmers who once supported Trump are now seeing the economic effects of anti-immigration policies and changing their position, stating:

“I still agree with Trump in a lot of ways, but I’m more on the fence about him now,” Ms. Raby said. “I don’t want to lose the immigrants who are working here and growing our food.”

White Americans seem to be realizing that they have become economically dependent on immigrant labor, and this could predict a future change of political opinions to a less exclusionary immigration position going forward.

Discussion question: As mentioned above, Abrajano and Hajnal argue that opinions on immigration affect other political issues. Do you predict that the changing opinions on immigration that the article discusses will lead to a broader shift in political attitudes in the reverse direction?