Xenophobia In Latin America

Attitudes, values and racist and xenophobic systems establish, openly or covertly, a hierarchy between ethnic or racial groups that are used to justify the privileges and/or advantages with which a dominant societal group enjoys. Xenophobia is the hatred, disgust or hostility towards foreigners. Racism is an ideology of superiority, while xenophobia is directed against a refusal directed against foreigners. Therefore this growing xenophobia is what has contributed to the growing hostility that the American people and government have against the rapidly growing Latino population. America is a nation of immigrants and although not all Americans are considered immigrants, their ancestors were once immigrants. The Latinization of the United States
The illegality that is tied to this population is also related to the physical border that separated the United States and Mexico. It has become a symbol of a growing high risk. The presence of Latin American communities is now more then ever visible within the United States, especially in cities like Miami, Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York City. Some of the largest communities are those of Cubans, Dominicans, Puerto Ricans and Mexicans. Given this demographic phenomenon, conservative groups in the United States have expressed concern, saying that these new migrants who are subsequently combined into a category that encompasses legal and non-legal Latinos are occupying jobs, using public services without paying taxes and collaborating to the rising crime. The authors have all elaborated in their works that the American historical conception has created Mexicans and Latin American migration as one related to invasion and one of violation which has in turn helped in the creation of institutionalized laws and programs that prohibited this invasion. The rhetoric about Latino immigration took hold when President Ronald Reagan framed the immigration issue within the national security issue by stating that the US had lost control of the border. The terrorist attacks of September 11,2001 confirmed the alleged connection between migration, terrorism and national security. Thus the Mexican border has become the new battleground in the fight against terrorism. Leo R. Chavez put this all in perspective in Chapter Six of The Latino Threat as he analyzes the Minutemen and their agenda of protecting the US – Mexico border from foreign invasion.The Latino threat narrative in conjunction with the Mexican border has been regarded as a social arena where violence reigns,