From Pixabay/Antonio_Cansino
In 2015, Michael Heaney and I published a book called Party in the Street. It’s main hypothesis was simple, but important. Like many other things in American political life, protest is polarized. People come out to the street when the other side wins elections. When your side wins, you are more likely to chill out and stay home. We used the anti-Iraq War movement as an example. A hard core continued to protest war during the Obama years, but most folks went home after the 2008 election.
In a 2020 USA Today op-ed, I warned that this might happen to other movements. A key passage from the op-ed:
there are many issues that deserve to be pulled out of the rigid left-right axis that constrains so much of our politics. Sometimes, we need to realize that positive social change will need a broader coalition where people need to leave their voter registration card by the door.
and
How should activists improve? First, activists should adopt a new mantra: “policies, not presidents.” Stay focused on what the government does, not who gets elected or even what elected leaders say. For example, we saw an increase of activists’ attention paid to immigration during the Trump era because President Trump made it clear that he intends to reduce immigration.
However, increases in deportation and detention occurred during the Obama and Bush administrations as well. We needed vigorous and strident pro-immigration activism during those presidencies as much as during Trump’s. It’s about the issue, not which team gets elected.
Professor Mora’s tweet indicates that my fears have come to pass. While there have been some marginal improvements on immigration during the Biden era, the entire system of punishing immigration regulations, detention centers, and deportations continues relatively unchanged. Yet, the outrage is gone. Why is AOC no longer arguing for defunding ICE? We still need to Abolish ICE!
Bottom line: Sadly, immigration protest is just as polarized as other forms of activism and that needs to change.
++++++
My books: Grad Skool Rulz - cheap advice manual for grad students / The history of Black Studies / Obama and the antiwar movement / A Social Theory book you will enjoy reading / Intro Sociology for $1 per chapter