1,999
Views
0
CrossRef citations to date
0
Altmetric
Articles

‘Build That Wall!’: manufacturing the enemy, yet again

Pages 999-1005 | Received 10 Feb 2017, Accepted 18 Mar 2017, Published online: 14 Nov 2017
 

Abstract

The 2016 presidential campaign and the election of Donald Trump has amplified divisive anti-immigrant sentiment and has further positioned ‘Mexicans as enemy.’ Trump’s ‘Build That Wall!’ declarative has stoked nativist ire through manufactured narratives that rarely, if ever, consider the United States government’s role in the increase of undocumented immigrants residing in our country. In this essay, the author connects the current administration’s anti-immigrant, anti-Mexican proposals to historical legislation that, cloaked under the guise of ‘national security’ or a return to ‘American values,’ has aimed to maintain White hegemony. Additionally, the author examines anti-Mexican narratives that aim to criminalize Mexican immigrants’ behaviors to justify imperialistic and unjust policies that further serve dominant-White political elites and their constituents.

Reprints and Corporate Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

To request a reprint or corporate permissions for this article, please click on the relevant link below:

Academic Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

Obtain permissions instantly via Rightslink by clicking on the button below:

If you are unable to obtain permissions via Rightslink, please complete and submit this Permissions form. For more information, please visit our Permissions help page.