Racial Stereotyping and the Politics of Fear
Will the scent of curry permeate the next White House administration? Photo by Sanket Shah on UnSplash.
A History of Racist Tropes
Recent claims by former US President Donald Trump and his running mate, JD Vance, that Haitian immigrants in Ohio have been stealing and eating neighborhood cats and dogs struck many Americans as bizarre. But such unfortunate claims are nothing new in American culture.
At least as far back as the 1800s, the racist trope that members of certain ethnic groups — especially newly arrived immigrants — consume pets or vermin has been common. This in spite of the fact that for early settlers, squirrels were considered a great delicacy, and were usually easy to find.
Spread of False Claims
Politicians and their supporters have sometimes amplified the claims. But more often they are spread as rumors, often boosted by uncritical media reports that cast disfavored minorities or newly arrived immigrants with unfamiliar customs as dirty or dangerous.
The latest installment in this long-running history began little more than a week ago, when Vance claimed, without providing evidence, that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, have been abducting and eating people’s dogs and cats.
Escalation and Consequences
Trump boosted the claim by repeating it the following day in a widely televised debate with Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee. The debate moderators immediately pointed out that city officials in Springfield had said there was no evidence to back up the claim.
Over the next several days, however, Trump and Vance repeated the claim multiple times, even as Springfield’s mayor denied its truth and asked them to stop. The city was forced to close some municipal buildings, including two elementary schools, after individuals citing the false stories called in bomb threats, and a local university was forced to cancel classes after a caller threatened a mass shooting.
Attempts to Vilify
More recently, right-wing provocateur Laura Loomer, who is believed to be a close associate of Donald Trump, attempted to bring negative attention to the Democratic presidential nominee’s Jamaican/Indian ancestry last week by saying if Harris wins the presidency, the White House will “smell like curry.”
Conclusion
While it is unusual for a former president and major party presidential nominee to broadcast such claims, false charges about racial minorities’ dietary practices have been present in presidential politics in the past.
FAQs
* Q: What are the implications of such racist tropes in American culture?
* A: These tropes perpetuate stereotypes and discrimination against certain groups, and can lead to harmful consequences, such as xenophobia and hate crimes.
* Q: How common are these claims in presidential politics?
* A: False charges about racial minorities’ dietary practices have been present in presidential politics in the past, and have often been amplified by politicians and their supporters.
* Q: What can be done to address these issues?
* A: It is essential to challenge and denounce such racist tropes, and to promote empathy and understanding between different cultural groups.