Description
Book Synopsis: Culling the Masses questions the widely held view that in the long run democracy and racism cannot coexist. David Scott FitzGerald and David Cook-Martín show that democracies were the first countries in the Americas to select immigrants by race, and undemocratic states the first to outlaw discrimination. Through analysis of legal records from twenty-two countries between 1790 and 2010, the authors present a history of the rise and fall of racial selection in the Western Hemisphere.
The United States led the way in using legal means to exclude “inferior” ethnic groups. Starting in 1790, Congress began passing nationality and immigration laws that prevented Africans and Asians from becoming citizens, on the grounds that they were inherently incapable of self-government. Similar policies were soon adopted by the self-governing colonies and dominions of the British Empire, eventually spreading across Latin America as well.
Undemocratic regimes in Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Cuba reversed their discriminatory laws in the 1930s and 1940s, decades ahead of the United States and Canada. The conventional claim that racism and democracy are antithetical—because democracy depends on ideals of equality and fairness, which are incompatible with the notion of racial inferiority—cannot explain why liberal democracies were leaders in promoting racist policies and laggards in eliminating them. Ultimately, the authors argue, the changed racial geopolitics of World War II and the Cold War was necessary to convince North American countries to reform their immigration and citizenship laws.
Details
Looking for a thought-provoking read that challenges conventional wisdom and sheds light on the dark history of racist immigration policies in the Americas? Look no further than "Culling the Masses: The Democratic Origins of Racist Immigration Policy in the Americas." This groundbreaking book by David Scott FitzGerald and David Cook-Martín delves into the untold stories of how democracies were the first to select immigrants by race and undemocratic states the first to outlaw discrimination.
With meticulous analysis of legal records spanning over two centuries and twenty-two countries, FitzGerald and Cook-Martín weave a compelling narrative that uncovers the rise and fall of racial selection in the Western Hemisphere. Discover how the United States, as a pioneer, employed a web of exclusionary laws to prevent certain ethnic groups from attaining citizenship, propagating the notion that they were inherently unfit for self-government.
But it doesn't stop there. "Culling the Masses" reveals a surprising twist: undemocratic regimes in Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Cuba actually reversed their discriminatory laws well ahead of their democratic counterparts. How can this be explained? Prepare to challenge the widely held belief that democracy and racism cannot coexist, as the authors present a compelling argument rooted in the shifting racial geopolitics of World War II and the Cold War.
Experience an eye-opening journey through history, as "Culling the Masses" prompts us to critically examine the interconnectedness of racial ideologies, immigration policies, and democracy. Don't miss your chance to explore a groundbreaking perspective on a timely and important issue. Get your hands on "Culling the Masses" today!
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