Emboldened by the virulent rhetoric pervading national election coverage, nativist groups across the country are hard at work organizing events to spread misinformation, sow fear, and explicitly malign minority communities.
As we did in 2015, Imagine 2050 staff is publishing an interactive map documenting events organized by or featuring nativist activists and organizations in 2016. Already, the map details two dozen events in 16 states that have occurred or are planned. (Heard about a nativist event in your area that’s not on the map? Please tell us about it.)
The events on this map are not all exactly alike. For example, on January 2, activists in Pennsylvania organized an anti-refugee rally in front of a refugee aid organization’s offices. That event certainly differs from the meeting the anti-immigrant group Oregonians for Immigration Reform (OFIR) will hold this weekend to discuss plans to advance ballot initiatives making English Oregon’s official language and implementing mandatory E-Verify.
Both, however, are public gatherings organized expressly to make the lives of immigrants and their native-born family members more difficult.
Not all events featured on the map are organized directly by nativist organizations. Meetings of right-wing or Tea Party groups are not necessarily nativist if they focus on fiscal issues, for instance. However, these events will be included if they host speakers with direct ties to nativist organizations, such as Stephen Steinlight, of the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS), or Susan Tully, of the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR).
Imagine 2050 staff will update this map throughout the year. If you hear about an event in your area, please email us or fill out this form: