Although Americans are proud of their country as an Immigrant Nation and consider
it as a refuge for all opressed people of other nations, they are very strict about the fact whom they allow to enter. They acknowledge that America’s strenght has derived from the diversity of its citizens but nevertheless most often people that differ too much in their cultural or ethnic background from the White Anglo-Saxon Protestant ideal are left out. The contradiction in this behaviour was described by Steven Vincent Benet when he said “Remember that when you say “I will have none of this exile and this stranger for his face is not my face and his speech is strange,” you have denied America with that word.”
Americans have furthermore always mystified the foundation of America and left out of the narrative certain events like for example the exploitation of slaves, the brutality against the Native Americans and the annexation of Mexico etc. Their liberal myth of pilgrims who out of love for freedom and equality formed a democracy therefore differs from the actual history of America. Ali Behdad refers to this fact as Historical Amnesia2 and points out that it is essential for the self-image of Americans who consider themselves hospitable and unbiased and who regard America as always been open for immigration.
My thesis is that the driving forces behind these phenomena have always been xenophobic fears which brought forth nativism. In my opinion therefore these phenomena can be better understood if one realizes the nature of xenophobia and the resulting nativism.
In this paper I will describe what xenophobia is and I am going to give a general overview over its mechanisms and how it leads to nativism. I will show that it can effect the cultural development of a nation and the social interactions between people on a personal level. Moreover I am going to illustrate that people and nations define themselves and get a stronger feeling of cohesion and membership by defining who the outsider is.
I will use the United States of America as a classical nation of immigrants as an
example for the influence xenophobia can have on the cultural development of a nation. To illustrate and analyze xenophobic and nativistic attitudes between people in a normal day to day live I will also refer to the film "L.A. Crash" in which those behaviours are portrayed very well.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Definitions
2.1. Xenophobia
2.2. Nativism
3. Effects on Cultural Development
3.1. U.S. History
3.2. U.S. Immigration Policies
4. Effects on Social Interactions
4.1. Film Synopsis „L.A. Crash“
4.1. Xenophobia & Nativism in the film „L.A. Crash“
4.2 Nativism, Racism and Xenophobia
5. Summary and Conclusion
Research Objectives and Themes
This paper explores the historical and social dimensions of American Nativism, positing that xenophobic fears act as a primary driver for shaping national identity and immigration policy. By analyzing the interplay between cultural myths of the United States and the lived experience of marginalized groups, the study aims to illustrate how defining the "outsider" is used to foster social cohesion and national self-image.
- Mechanisms of xenophobia and their evolution into nativist ideologies.
- The role of "historical amnesia" in constructing the American immigrant identity.
- Influence of xenophobic attitudes on U.S. immigration policy and legislative history.
- Representation of societal prejudices and "collision of cultures" in the film L.A. Crash.
- The institutionalization of racism and stereotypes within contemporary social and political spheres.
Excerpt from the Book
Xenophobia & Nativism in the film „L.A. Crash“
Although there are car accidents in the film the notion of a crash is mainly used as a metaphor to describe how individuals with different backgrounds collide. The film shows that the xenophobic fears and prejudices are the stronger the more the people are alienated from themselves and each other. It also illustrates very well how people then because of xenophobic fears rather stick to their own kind of people meaning that they develop a nativistic attitude. These are guiding themes in this film and therefore one of the protagonists I mentioned, the police detective Graham Waters who is played by Don Cheadle states right at the beginning of the film that people are missing the sense of the touch and therefore lack something. He says "Nobody touches you." and "We miss that sense of a touch we crash into each other just to feel something." Of course he here refers to L.A. with its car culture but I think in any other city it is the same in modern times when people in the worst case do not even know their neighbours personally. Prejudices then arise from not knowing each other.
The film also illustrates that when people are already overstrained with their lives and then get into a quarrel with each other the first best thing for them to do seems to pick on the most obvious thing one could criticise being the origin. In "L.A. Crash" this phenomenon is shown like the mental illness some people have where they uncontrollably say swear words and which is called the Tourette Syndrome. Every new character is introduced with a quarrel which everytime almost immediately descends into racial scoldings. And so you get the impression that not a single minute passes by without one of the characters making a bad remark about another character's ancestry.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Presents the central thesis that xenophobic fears drive nativism and national self-definition in the U.S.
2. Definitions: Defines key terms including xenophobia as a pathological fear of the foreign and nativism as the political favoring of established inhabitants over newcomers.
3. Effects on Cultural Development: Examines how U.S. history and immigration policies have been shaped by the need to distinguish "good" immigrants from "bad" ones to maintain a national myth.
4. Effects on Social Interactions: Analyzes the depiction of these themes in the film L.A. Crash, highlighting how personal fears manifest in social conflicts.
5. Summary and Conclusion: Synthesizes the findings, arguing that understanding these patterns is essential to overcoming prejudice and building empathy.
Keywords
Nativism, Xenophobia, Immigration, Cultural Identity, United States, L.A. Crash, Social Cohesion, Prejudice, Discrimination, Stereotypes, Historical Amnesia, Assimilation, Racism, Political Debates, Human Behavior.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core subject of this study?
The study examines the relationship between xenophobia and nativism, specifically how these dynamics influence the development of American national identity and social interactions.
What are the central thematic fields covered?
The work explores U.S. immigration history, political legislative developments, the construction of national myths, and the representation of social collision in contemporary cinema.
What is the primary research goal?
The primary goal is to show that xenophobic fears are a fundamental mechanism used by nations and individuals to define "in-groups" versus "out-groups" for the sake of social cohesion.
Which scientific methodology is applied?
The author combines a historical analysis of U.S. policy with a cultural/film study approach, using the film L.A. Crash as a qualitative case study for sociological analysis.
What is the focus of the main section?
The main section investigates how nativist sentiments have historically informed immigration laws and how these ideologies are manifested through daily interactions and media representations.
Which keywords best characterize the work?
The work is defined by themes of nativism, xenophobia, the American immigrant myth, social stereotypes, and the psychological roots of prejudice.
How does the film L.A. Crash illustrate the author's argument?
The film serves as a metaphor for a divided society, demonstrating through its characters how people project their internal insecurities onto others, resulting in the reinforcement of racial and cultural stereotypes.
What conclusion does the author draw regarding human behavior and prejudice?
The author concludes that prejudice stems from a lack of genuine connection between individuals and argues that overcoming nativism requires personal awareness and the ability to look past superficial social or ethnic labels.
- Quote paper
- Oezguer Dindar (Author), 2009, American Nativism and its Representation in the Film "L. A. Crash", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/157707
