Announcing our upcoming 4th lecture in the Political Science Speaker Series: Dr. Tom Wong.

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Dr. Wong will be lecturing on Immigration, White Nationalism, and the Great Replacement Theory: Who Believes, Why do They Believe, and What can be Done, see poster attached.

January 20th, 2023 in the EMU Cedar Spruce Rooms (Rm. 231-232) from 12-1:30pm

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.

Tom K. Wong is an associate professor of political science and founding director of the U.S. Immigration Policy Center (USIPC) at the University of California, San Diego. He served as an advisor to the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (WHIAAPI) under the Obama administration where he co-led the immigration portfolio and was appointed by former Governor Gerry Brown to serve on the State of California 2020 Census Complete Count Committee (CCC). He is also winner of the ACLU Presidential Prize. He is also Co-Director of the Human Rights and Migration program. His research focuses on the politics of immigration, citizenship, and migrant illegality. As these issues have far-reaching implications, his work also explores the links between immigration, race and ethnicity, and the politics of identity. Wong’s research has been used by policymakers both in the U.S. and in Mexico, as well as by organizations that serve immigrant communities. Wong’s research has been used in several federal lawsuits to defend DACA, end family separation at the southern border, and prohibit indefinite child detention, among others. Wong and his work has been covered by The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, NPR and major media outlets across the country in hundreds of articles.