"Xenophobia ensnares and de-Americanizes long-term residents and US citizens by stigmatizing them as perpetual foreigners in — or even threats to — the United States, irrespective of their immigration or citizenship status. Mexican Americans who were prevented from voting in the US Southwest, for example, were de-Americanized. Japanese Americans were forcibly relocated and incarcerated during World War II in perhaps the best-known example of de-Americanization. But the process continues today. Since 9/11, Arab and Muslim Americans have been subjected to mass arrests, detention without charges, special registration, wiretapping, and spying without pretext. And as the United States has expanded its immigration enforcement into the interior of the country to target undocumented immigrants, deportation has resulted in the de facto deportation of US citizens as well as undocumented immigrants. These cases typically include US-born citizen children in so-called mixed-status families who accompany a noncitizen parent deported back to their homeland. Described as 'collateral victims' of a cruel deportation machine in the United States, these American citizens have become part of a growing deportation diaspora who have been effectively de-Americanized.

"Xenophobia threatens national unity. It allows white supremacy and white nationalism to come to the forefront of American politics and culture. It embraces only some as Americans, while others remain outsiders. It fosters a violent citizenship of exclusion, encouraging citizens to differentiate themselves from and pit themselves against the foreign-born. In recent years, for example, US citizens have been increasingly enlisted to enforce xenophobic policies. This was the intent behind California's Proposition 187. In 2011, Alabamans passed H.B. 56, which required teachers to verify the immigration status of their students, including those in elementary school. It also charged anyone found aiding or transporting undocumented immigrants with a felony. Although many provisions were ruled unconstitutional, some remain on the books, including a 'show me your papers' policy.

"With so much at stake, understanding exactly how xenophobia works is fundamental to the future of American democracy and for the creation of a more humane global society. Part of this task is to reckon with the United States' violent history of xenophobia and recognize its tenacious grip on the United States today. Another urgent undertaking is to understand the limits of xenophobic policies that have led to building walls and banning immigrants. We are living in an era of unprecedented global migration as economic, political, social, and environmental forces continue to drive people from their homes. On our interconnected and warming planet, our future well-being will be inextricably connected to the well-being of those whom we might consider 'strangers.' As all of humanity faces limited resources and opportunities, we cannot afford to practice the closed-mindedness and isolation that xenophobia promotes.

"In both the past and present, xenophobes have argued that immigrants are threats. But it is xenophobia, not immigration, that is our gravest threat today. It is time to reset the terms of the debate."