Immigration

George W. Bush Warns Of Nativism, 1920s Style Immigration Backlash

By Michael Scherer | @michaelscherer | February 3, 2011 | +

In 1924, the U.S. Congress passed a law that created a quota for the number of immigrants that could be admitted to the U.S. from any given country. The math worked out like this: Between 1924 and 1927, the annual number of immigrants from any nation could not exceed 2 percent of the number of foreign-born residents from that country in the U.S. in 1890. It was a law designed to freeze in time the ever-shifting ethnic melting pot that the United States has always been. In a recent C-Span talk to college students, former President George W. Bush worries that something like this is happening again.

There was an immigration policy during this period that I think argued during this period that we had too many Jews and too many Italians and therefore we should have no immigrants. And my point to you is we have been through this kind of period of isolationism, protectionism, nativism. I am a little concerned that we might be going through the same period. I hope that these isms pass, which would then allow for a more orderly look at immigration policy.

Here is the video:

Related Topics: george w. bush, Immigration

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  • allthingsinaname

    “George W. Bush Warns Of Nativism, 1920s Style Immigration Backlash”
    .
    Sorry having not seen, read or seen any reports on his Statement. I am not sure what it is that you are conveying?

  • allthingsinaname

    Well Nice you added after my comment.

  • textee

    Let’s hope that for the next two years Obamao and Fairy Reid continue to push for amnesty for illegals. I want at least 67 Republicans (and no RINOs!) in the United States Senate and a Republican president beginning in 2013.

  • afguy

    Me neither. But it is ironic. This is the whirlwind that the GOP unleased to appeal to their base with the goal of winning elections.
    .
    I think whoever said “they created this monster” were dead on. The country is going to be dealing with the “Law of Unintended Consequences” on campaign tactics for quite a while longer.

  • http://grapemusing.blogspot.com/ grape_crush

    <snark>

    You linked to the Huffington Post? What are you Scherer, some sort of lefty Communist?!

    </snark>

  • nflfoghorn

    You can’t always get what you want….

  • jsfox

    You must truly loath Reagan who gave amnesty to 3 million illegals.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immigration_Reform_and_Control_Act_of_1986

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  • ohiolibb

    Bush gets called a liberal in 5..4…3…

  • hernandezusa

    “George W. Bush Warns Of Nativism, 1920s Style Immigration Backlash”

    ~ Bush can (BLANK HIMSELF) and go move to Mexico…its Liberal “RINOS” like him that helped sell out Americans Citizenship and allowed millions of illegals to come to this nation unchecked.

  • afguy

    And… right on cue…

  • hernandezusa

    Reagan himself regretted giving amnesty to illegals.

    You cannot stop a flood my just cleaning the floor of a house going underwater….YOU CANNOT STOP THE FLOOD until we start filling the holes in the dam, 1st!

  • hernandezusa

    Well he is and I hope it makes you feel all warm and fuzzy, knowing the Bush was a closet Liberal all this time.

  • http://grapemusing.blogspot.com/ grape_crush

    (said with a thick Scottish accent)
    .
    “If it doesn’t come from Glenn Beck, it’s crrap!”

  • nflfoghorn

    W’s a liberal??? In the eyes of Buckley, maybe.

  • hernandezusa

    GWB is a closet Liberal, he was putting up a front for the GOP party and his boss, the most powerful VP in American history.

  • m0mentom0ri

    “Fairy Reid”
    .
    Another proud right-wing bigot. One great thing about the Tea Party movement is that its empowered the Archie Bunker’s of the world to speak their mind instead of couching it in politely phrased dog whistles. It makes it much easier to spot them for the hateful jingoists that they are.

  • http://grapemusing.blogspot.com/ grape_crush

    …allowed millions of illegals to come to this nation unchecked.
    .
    And why did he do that?
    .
    Would it have anything to do with cheap labor?
    .
    If you want to ‘fill the holes in the dam’, why aren’t you speaking out against businesses that employ illegal immigrants? How about people who rent them places to live? Sell them food and other goods?
    .
    Putting up fences and Minutemen patrols may make you feel good…but until you enforce the relevant employment laws and deny illegal immigrants access to basic needs, you don’t have a chance of resolving the issue to your satisfaction.
    .
    The ugly truth is that some people want cheap labor that rents otherwise empty apartment units and spends their money at Wal-Mart. That’s your problem, not the people who cross a border because there’s nominally better opportunities waiting for them.

  • notfooledbydistractions

    Too bad the gutless coward bush didn’t speak up when he was president.

    Crawl back into your bottle, or your secret hiding spot, you did your damage, now disappear.

  • http://patricksartor.wordpress.com patricksartor

    I’ve got to laugh every time that when a wingnut white guy goes online to bash immigrants, he uses a Latino name.
    .
    I bet when Wingnuts want to bash Asians they use a handle like “Mr Lee” or, maybe “General Tso”
    Creo que hernandezusa es un blanco.
    .
    (Yes, I do speak some Spanish.)

  • square1

    The primary difference between liberals and conservatives is that liberals generally make good-faith efforts to come up with solutions that are actually workable.

    This doesn’t mean that Democratic politicians can’t be absurd. But liberal pundits and the rank-and-file make an effort to actually solve problems instead of just whining about them.

    For example, we know that the Right have their panties in a bunch over immigration. But what is their end-game? They have none. You will never hear Republicans offer any serious policy proposals that have a chance of actually working in the real world.

    For example, even if you spend billions building a big wall, is that going to keep immigrants out? No.

    This is because Republicans insist on viewing immigration through a fantasy-lens where immigrants are lazy and want Americans’ entitlement benefits. In reality, immigrants are generally hard-working and come to the U.S. for jobs.

    So, what is a real-world approach to our immigration problems? Any real-world approach would give a carrot to immigrants to follow a clear, lawful path to citizenship: If you learn English, maintain employment, and don’t break the law, you can stay.

    And it would give a stick to the individuals and companies who enable and support illegal immigration: Hefty fines for those who employ illegal immigrants and jail time for repeat offenders.

    A stick can also be used on lawful immigrants: Punish lawful aliens who aid illegal aliens with a worsening, if not total loss of immigration status.

    In short, a real-world approach would both force Americans to take responsibility for their role in fostering a black market for illegal alien workers over the past several decades and also force immigrants to adhere to acceptable community standards if they want to come and remain in the U.S.

    As far as I can tell, the GOP rarely moves beyond demands for blanket deportations and wall building.

  • http://gum0nshoe.wordpress.com gumOnShoe

    Hey, don’t ruin that voice me. Its about all I have left of this country…

  • apollyon07

    Uhh GW actually supported and pushed hard for comprehensive immigration reform (read- amnesty) during his presidency.
    .
    GW is a lot of things, but he is not a gutless coward. Just because you have a strong hatred for him doesn’t make him wrong on everything.

  • http://forgottenlord.livejournal.com forgottenlord

    Says more about how right the Republicans have gotten than how left Bush is.

  • Ivy_B

    Very interesting. Lots to think about.

  • tyrantking

    3.3 – sources or it didn’t happen.

  • pelhamite1

    Although I disagreed with Bush about most things, one of his more admirable qualities was a relatively open mind about minorities in America. He seemed genuinely interested in finding a solution to the immigration conundrum (and, yes, he may have been motivated as much as anything by the need to support his fellow ranchers, but still) and he was a downright beacon of reason with regard to Muslims in the wake of 9/11. What is interesting, and scary, is that the modern Republican Party has moved so far to the right that even GWB is off the reservation by now. God save us.

  • http://24ahead.com/ kattest123

    afguy: Your comment shows a distinct inability to think. So, let me help.
    .
    Think of illegal immig. as an industry just like any other “industry”: steel, growing crops, chicken, drugs, etc. As in those other industries, there’s a lot of money involved.
    .
    For instance, the money that’s sent home to Mexico by immigrants and illegal aliens was over $20 billion/year, although it might have gone down lately. And, that’s just one part of the “industry”.
    .
    And, lots of people have their hands out, trying to grab a piece of the “industry”: crooked banks, crooked growers, and so on. And, they’ve got plenty of help from either paid hacks or just idiots: politicians, reporters, and so on.
    .
    And, they’ve also got help from “liberals” who – for various psychological reasons – have been made into useful idiots to help those mentioned above make money or obtain power.
    .
    That explains what happened when George Bush proposed one of the most anti-American and un-American schemes a U.S. president has ever proposed (click that link for the details). Namely, the Democrats said nothing.
    .
    GWB proposed a plan that would have driven middle-class wages down near world levels, and the Dems said absolutely nothing.
    .
    And, that’s because of the money and power involved in the “industry”.
    .
    Don’t be a useful idiot for crooks.

  • afguy

    kattest123,
    .
    Sooo… you feel a need to do my thinking for me, because I have a different opinion of events than you might have?
    .
    How “authoritarian” of you…

  • square1

    I go with General Tso.
    .
    It is asian. It has the military aesthetic. And it tastes good.

  • garylk

    I’m not so sure about learning English, since we have so many territories and possessions where the US citizens do not speak English as their native language. That’s like telling Puerto Rican he can’t be a citizen because he speaks his native language.

  • paulejb

    Most Americans have no objection to legal immigration. They realize that legal immigrants seeking a better life will contribute to America’s continued success.

    What they do object to is a flood of illegal immigrants swarming across our borders while our feckless politicians do little or nothing to stop it.

    If there is a danger of the growth of “nativism” you helped create it, George. The public is fed up with the failure of the federal government to enforce it’s laws. They are also dismayed that the reaction of the Obama administration to Arizona’s attempt to defend itself, was met not with increased border enforcement, but with a lawsuit against the State of Arizona.

  • apr2563

    All of my grandparents came to this country from Central Europe in the late 1900s.
    The US corporations wanted cheap labor so they relaxed immigration quotas for Central Europeans, Italians, etc. (You know the swarthy types)
    .
    When they arrived they learned English. My maternal Grandmother spoke 5 languages. She came here at 16 and uneducated. My grandparents found jobs to support their large families from farming to blacksmithing.
    .
    Their children grew up to work hard. Although originally corporations took advantage of the cheap labor, unions fought for increased wages and benefits.
    .
    Legalizing the undocumented now in this country will allow the end of their exploitation and give them the ability to expect the same wages and benefits of citizens.

  • afguy

    Hi, apollyon07,
    .
    It’s been a while.

  • diecash1

    And, they’ve also got help from “liberals” who – for various psychological reasons – have been made into useful idiots to help those mentioned above make money or obtain power.

    Well katt, you had me right up to this bit of “thinking”, and I hesitate to call such drivel “thinking”, where you resorted to some weak partisan attack. Perhaps you’re unfamiliar with the fact that corporations’ incessant drive for ever cheaper labor and new customers are big drivers behind illegal immigration. It has become an industry unto itself and you know what “useful idiots” support every corporate whim? Rank and file Republicans. Don’t let that get in the way of your “thinking” though.

  • rwbbinla

    I have been lurking here for a while and this is the most amazing post I have seen yet! Words can’t describe how far the right wing has gone..Crazy!

  • http://patricksartor.wordpress.com patricksartor

    “They are also dismayed that the reaction of the Obama administration to Arizona’s attempt to defend itself, was met not with increased border enforcement, but with a lawsuit against the State of Arizona.”
    .
    As you have seen me post before, this president has done far more than Bush to deport illegal immigrants.
    .
    As for regular law enforcement handling immigration, what do you think the punishment for coming to this country should be?
    .
    Should it be that you get extorted huge sums of money by your countrymen?
    .
    Should your wife and daughter get raped?
    .
    Well how do illegal immigrants prevent themselves from being extorted beaten or raped ?
    .
    Local law enforcement arrests people who beat up, extort money from and rape illegal immigrants.
    .
    So, how do you make sure that undocumented workers do not become a class one can victimize with impunity?
    .
    You separate local law enforcement from immigration .
    .
    If you think that overstaying a student visa, overstaying a tourist visa and illegally working (the most common ways illegal immigrants come here) means that you should be beaten, robbed and raped with impunity , then I have to question your morality.
    .
    If this concept hasn’t crossed your mind, then, maybe you don’t have a great deal of imagination or haven’t thought about it enough.

  • ohiolibb

    You know, I really should mind the trolls….but I don’t. If nothing else, they remind that there are plenty of people who have it even worse than I do.

  • http://24ahead.com/ kattest123

    diecash1: the great thing about *not* being a partisan hack is that I can criticize both “liberal” useful idiots for crooked banks and busineses *and* at the same time criticize the teaparty loons.
    .
    Click here for my extensive and highly negative coverage of the teaparties.

  • np042

    4/10 on the TCS. No heart behind it. Very weak showing.
    .
    That said, I find it hilarious when people ignore the fact that Obama has deported more illegals than Bush.

  • paulejb

    patricksartor@10.1,

    Patrick, an illegal alien can avoid being extorted, beaten or raped by simple staying home. Many illegal aliens are extorted, beaten and raped by the coyotes who they pay to bring them across the border illegally.

  • paulejb

    patricksartor@10.1,

    Patrick, an illegal alien can avoid being extorted, beaten or raped by simply staying home. Many illegal aliens are extorted, beaten and raped by the coyotes who they pay to bring them across the border illegally.

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