As you know, progressives and many TV commentators need to expand their vocabulary. In the realm of immigration, perennial nimrod Geraldo Rivera called Donald Trump a”xenophobic, nativist,” along with the “Ann Coulter wing of the Republican Party.”
In other words, if you are against the uninvited migration of millions of foreign nationals violating our laws, and demanding not only undeserved social services but the overhaul of our entire cultural, political and economic institutions, you hate people from cultures.
This is, of course, absurd on its face, in the same way you can’t call someone phobic or a hater for not accepting someone who breaks into your house, steals your food and demands a share of the family inheritance.
And it’s worth noting that “color blind” should avoid calling others bigots when they can’t tell the difference between shades of meaning.
To believe that your culture is the best is not the same as hating every other culture. Desiring LEGAL immigration is not the same as hating all immigration, and it certainly doesn’t mean nativist.
“nativist” seems to be a pejorative term for those who believe in their own country’s laws.
So, let me introduce a more accurate term: ethnocentric nationalism.
I know, I know. It’s another phrase for hating foreigners, right? WRONG.
Imagine you go to, say, Mexico. Or Thailand. Or Japan. Or France. Or Italy. Or any other country known for food, and discover that they have been all taken over by McDonalds, Starbucks, and Pizza Hut. You would be up in arms! How dare these American culture-imperialist companies eradicate these cultural institutions!
What if we want Mexican food, not Tex-Mex? What if I want pure Thai food, not Eurasian? Or Japanese food, not just that processed stuff from Costco? Or French cuisine, not French-influenced “Royales with Cheese” a la Pulp Fiction?
Yes, we in fact LOVE other cultures. Some Americans love them so much that they visit often. Some give up their USA citizenship and go through the legal process of joining that other culture without bitching about them not changing to suit the American palate.
In other words, those unwilling to be ex-patriots prefer the American culture. That doesn’t mean we HATE other cultures. We’re ETHNOCENTRIC.
To go a bit further, we don’t fault the French for liking being French. We fault them for being French! But it’s okay if they like their culture.
So why can’t Americans? Can’t WE have a culture too?
Oh wait — we already have one. In the above, you realize that Tex-Mex is part of it. As is Pizza Huts and Royales with cheese! And we LIKE it. We believe in our country, culture, institutions and economy. Sure, it needs some improvement, and Resetculture.us exists for that conversation. But it’s OUR cultural conversation.
Do you get it, you color blind cultural imperialists? As you might concede this point for literally every other culture on the planet, a country has a right to determine its borders, define its culture and govern itself according to its citizen’s wishes. You would complain if the USA barged in and changed up everything, right? You have on many occasions, warranted or not.
The United States has that same right. We have a right to a border and to determine who gets to come in. We have a right to demand foreign nationals not only respect but also FOLLOW our laws.
We are not a nation of immigrants. We are a nation of CITIZENS!
As an Ethnocentric Nationalist, this has to be said: if you don’t like the US of A, you are welcome to explore the rest of the planet.
You are NOT obliged to flout our laws, demand free education, healthcare and voting rights, and then call us xenophobic or racist or whatever when we refuse. We’re not your Daddy Warbucks.
You are citizens of another country. If you hate it there, change it. We recommend using the USA as a model instead of a refuge camp. Take a tour of our Constitutional Republic. Notice how well it works with our capitalist economy, our individualism, our Christian-heritage, our inclusive English language. Notice how many other cultures inspired our growth by both contributing new ideas and also plunging into the melting pot.
Those invested in hating us Ethnocentric Nationalists tend to live in ghettos. Or they go home. But don’t stand around complaining. We have more than enough progressives to reform. We’re even willing to donate them to your home cultures. Just say the word.