Immigration, White Nationalism, and the Great Replacement Theory

• In Event: Anti-immigrant Sentiment, Xenophobia, and Nativism

Abstract

The Great Replacement Theory is a conspiracy theory subscribed to be White nationalists that states that immigration is being used to replace the native-born White population in the U.S. with people of color (i.e., “White genocide”). Previously relegated to the fringes of American society, the Great Replacement Theory has emerged as a serious threat to pluralistic values, as recent mass shootings wherein shooters have left manifestos espousing the Great Replacement Theory have made clear. News media and other polling suggest that as many as one-third of Republicans (Washington Post) or one-half of native-born White Americans (SPLC) believe in some variant of the Great Replacement Theory. This paper examines the determinants of belief in the Great Replacement Theory, explores why individuals believe that immigration is being weaponized to replace native-born Whites, the extent to which those who believe are willing to resort to political violence, and what can be done to stop this.

Author

• Tom K. Wong, University of California, San Diego