Could Anti-Immigrant Rhetoric Lead To Violence In America Like It Did In The UK?

Deadly riots in UK

A frightening wave of riots led by right-wing activists broke out across England in the past two weeks. The reason is false rhetoric that painted the accused in a violent stabbing incident involving the tragic death of three young girls as an illegal immigrant. Although it’s been proven multiple times over that the perpetrator was a British citizen, this false narrative has gripped the fevered imagination of the alt-right and has contributed to the vast spread of violence and destruction in the country.

Misinformation campaigns on social media aimed at discrediting the UK labor government and mainstream journalists have made it difficult for the police to stop the spread of violence.

But a surprising mass movement has stepped in to fill the gaps, with waves of anti-racist protesters showing up at far-right proposed sites of destruction to protect their communities and to display solidarity. The most recent YouGov poll echoes this statement, concluding, “Few Britons support the disorder, with the vast majority saying it is unjustified and that the views of the rioters are not representative of the wider population.”

This situation is the culmination of years of anti-immigrant rhetoric and political hand-wringing. This exact situation is also what millions of immigrants in the U.S. are actively watching out for. They fear that a second Trump presidency could result in an even more catastrophic and violent turn of events.

Anti-Immigrant Rhetoric & the Elections

For decades, Western politicians have leaned on xenophobic and anti-immigrant narratives to push their agendas. A landmark 2022 study shows that political campaigns centering on anti-immigration policies can sway electorates and win elections, but the perceived benefits will dissipate in the short term.

In the United States, anti-immigrant campaigns have existed ever since America itself was colonized and created. It started with the othering of Native Americans, then the Irish and Italian immigrants, followed by the Chinese railroad and gold mine workers, and has now finally landed on Mexicans and other South Americans.

But this time and in this age of social media, the anti-immigrant hate has been quick to spread outwards and bleed through a swathe of immigrant communities. During the previous Trump presidency , violent attacks against Asian communities surged and reached all-time highs.

With Kamala Harris leading the democratic charge and Usha Vance aiming for second lady status, Indian Americans too have entered the sightline of the far-right. Far-right activists have already unleashed a barrage of attacks against both Usha Vance and Kamala Harris, aiming for their Indian identity and DEI initiatives.

A Rise in Anti-Immigrant Sentiment

“During Trump’s last presidency children in places like Tulelake, California, were regularly bullied at school, farm laborers and blue-collar workers had to face xenophobic insults at every turn,and mothers were afraid to step into hospitals for fear of familial separation,” said Manuel Ortiz Escamez, the award-winning journalist and co-founder of Peninsula 360 Press, at an August 2 Ethnic Media Services briefing to address the recent rise in anti-immigrant sentiments.

He shared the story of a young mother who came to the U.S. to flee violence and an unstable political landscape in his home country. The woman, currently working as a farm worker in California, looks directly into the camera, shakes her head, and smiles, “We didn’t come here to “invade” or take your lands, we are here because we want to work, we want to put food on the table, and we want to keep our children safe. It is very difficult to work all day with a hoe – our feet swell, our thirsts are never quenched, our bones hurt and we fall asleep fatigued. But we push forward and do it with love, we find honor in our work, we pay taxes and we support our communities.”

Her story reveals the false narratives regarding immigrant communities and tax payments. Last year, undocumented immigrants contributed nearly 100 billion dollars through property taxes, sales taxes, federal payroll taxes taken from their wages, as well as income tax returns using Individual Taxpayer Identification numbers. A study shows that in 40 states, the tax rates for undocumented workers were higher than the top 1% of the wealth holders, even though they received almost no social benefits in return.

Dividing Communities of Color

Anti-immigrant rhetoric works by dividing communities of color and creating tensions between documented and undocumented immigrants. It also paints artificial barriers within income classes, separating workers and disadvantaged Americans from immigrants with similar life experiences. The insidious nature of this rhetoric and its ability to trickle down to the level of schools, universities, and places of work and worship, sends chills up the spines of many immigrants.

Arcenio Lopez, Executive Director of MICOP and a Ñuu Savi leader from San Francisco Higos, emphasized that “Borders have been created to divide us and to maintain control of capital. But we are not just “migrants”, we all belong to this land and the type of anti-immigrant rhetoric we see now is an intentional tool of oppression. To fight the barrage of hate in this upcoming election cycle, communities of color should protect each other and stand united. We should expose misinformation, call out hate speech, and stand up to bullies, both in our communities and in the political sphere. After all, we are all human and we are all equally committed to this country.”

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