“I am a woman, and I am Italian. We are all the same: human beings, children of God.”
Mother Cabrini
Cabrini is an impressive movie, a poignant depiction of America’s long history of xenophobia and racism. The film’s trailer opens with a powerful scene: Mother Cabrini expresses her anguish, lamenting, “This is America, the greatest nation on earth, where rats have it better than Italian children.” Then, we witness the locals’ response to the newcomers. An enraged mayor laments the infiltration of “brown skin filth” threatening New York, while another resident demands mass deportation. Cabrini | Final Trailer.
The movie itself begins with palpable tension as Paolo, a young Italian boy, frantically tries to save his dying mother by pushing her in a cart to the hospital. However, upon arrival and speaking in Italian, the hospital staff callously dismissed him, refusing to help. After his mother’s tragic passing, local figures order Paolo to leave, deriding him with racial slurs. Cabrini | The First 19 Minutes.
Then, the Italian newcomers were “brown skin filth” and “monkeys who do not understand.” Now the new immigrants from Central and South America are “criminals,” “rapists,” “animals,” and accused of “poisoning the blood of our country,” as boldly stated by Donald Trump. But discrimination against immigrants is not a recent phenomenon, nor did it start with the Italians.
In 1750, Benjamin Franklin was concerned about the impending influx of “swarthy” foreigners who spoke their language among themselves, dreading they would overwhelm the colonies and their British subjects. Interestingly, the group he considered dangerous outsiders at the time were Germans.
In the 19th century, cartoons depicting Irish Catholics portrayed them with ape-like features, like the dehumanizing caricatures of African Americans during that time. This portrayal effectively marked the Irish as a perceived threat, as the existing stereotypes of African Americans the locals already used similarly to dehumanize and marginalize them. A combination of factors, including famine, economic opportunity, and the desire for religious and political freedom, prompted large waves of Irish immigration to the United States during this period.
The locals demonized Greek, Spaniard, Polish, Jewish, and Middle Eastern immigrants as well. They treated the Japanese and Chinese immigrants even worse. Each group endured severe discrimination, facing threats, psychological torment, and physical violence. Tragically, many fell victim to lynching and fatal assaults.
Multiple factors fueled this hate toward immigrants. The visual disparities of many newcomers contributed to perceptions of otherness. The locals also held the unfounded belief that immigrants were stealing their jobs—a misconception given that newcomers often filled roles categorized by scholars as “dirty jobs,” positions typically unwanted by locals.
Misinformation and stereotypes lead to misconceptions about immigrants, portraying them as burdens on society rather than contributors. Many politicians (with Donald Trump serving as a prominent example) and media outlets exploit these fears for their own gain. They promote narratives that demonize immigrants to bolster their support base or divert attention from other issues.
Concerns about the strain on social services and U.S. fiscal health can also contribute to the negative perceptions of immigrants. However, research typically shows that immigrants contribute more to the economy through taxes and labor than they receive in benefits.
Critics of immigration frequently claim that immigrants contribute to higher crime rates. However, recent findings from economist Ran Abramitzky of Stanford University and his colleagues suggest that this has not been true in the United States over the past 140 years. The study shows that since 1880, first-generation immigrants have had lower incarceration rates compared to native-born Americans. Presently, immigrants are 30% less likely to be imprisoned than white U.S.-born individuals.
Many other studies refute the claim that immigrants contribute to crime. (See Illegal Immigrants Have a Low Homicide Conviction Rate: Setting the Record Straight on Illegal Immigrant Crime | Cato, Immigrants less likely to commit crimes than U.S.-born : NPR, The Myth of the Criminal Immigrant — The New York Times, Trump's claims of a migrant crime wave are not supported by national data.)
In 2001, Andrew Karmen, a criminologist at the City University of New York’s College of Criminal Justice (JJC), conducted a study revealing that not only newcomers did not increase crime rates. The substantial influx of diligent, law-abiding immigrants helped account for the significant decrease in crime, particularly murders, in New York City during the 1990s.
Ironically, we contribute to crime in neighboring countries, not vice versa. American-manufactured firearms stand as the primary cause of fatalities among American children, and they also contribute significantly to the disproportionate rate at which women in the U.S. fall victim to firearm-related fatalities compared to other affluent nations.
They also cause significant violence to America’s neighbors. Ninety percent of the firearms criminals use in Haiti are American manufacturers. Ieva Jusionyte, an Associate Professor of International Security and Anthropology at Brown University, sheds light on the pivotal role of firearms manufactured and distributed in the United States in fueling violence across the Mexican border.
Erika Lee wrote that xenophobia, like racism, can change and adapt but does not disappear completely. It doesn’t stay the same; it can evolve and appear differently. So, even though we might think it is going away, it can pop up again in unexpected ways. So, even if society accepts one group of immigrants, another group might still face the same fear and hate. This recurrence illustrates how deeply ingrained these prejudices are within society. What is sad is sometimes, the group that just got accepted can start mistreating the next group of immigrants.
Briefly, xenophobia and racism are persistent forces that continue to shape social interactions and perceptions, even in a progressive society like the United States. Recognizing and addressing these issues is crucial for fostering a more inclusive and fair society.
Further readings
During A Weekend Of Racial Unrest, Greek-Americans Recall Their Own Struggles With Racism - GreekReporter.com
Exit Wounds: How America's Guns Fuel Violence across the Border (Volume 57) (California Series in Public Anthropology): Jusionyte, Ieva
Immigration’s Effect on the Social Security System
New data shows why the U.S. needs more immigrant
When Italian immigrants were ‘the other’ | CNN