How would the "Trump Theory" of immigration have worked in 1935?

[louis c]

Here's how I interpret the "Trump Theory" of immigration. It's mostly racist and wants people to be allowed to immigrate to the United States based on the relative morals and stability of the host country. Hence, no immigrants from "shithole countries". When confronted to define "shithole countries", Trump's allies say that Trump didn't mean that as a reflection on the people of the countries, but the governments.

If that's the case, could there ever have been a more repressive, immoral, "shithole" country than Nazi Germany? And, could there have ever been refugees more in need of immigration than the citizens of Germany who were condemned under Hitler's Nazi regime, especially Jews?

Only an asshole would evaluate the government of the country of origin as a means test to enter the United States, advantaging people from thriving, free democracies over those who live under brutal dictatorships.

The whole notion is counterintuitive and to the absolute opposite historical perspective of American history, beginning with the Mayflower and ending with, well, today.

I'm 65 years old and third generation immigrant. Using the new "Trump Theory" of immigration, my ancestors would have been denied, and I'm going to guess, most of you reading this would say the same.

But the 1935 immigration from Nazi Germany would be the starkest example of how bankrupt the "Trump Theory" of immigration really is.

[unblock]

1. by "shithole countries", he didn't mean form of government. he meant black.

perhaps more generally, people of color.

but mostly black.


donnie, at least, didn't even claim it was about form of government, afaik.

[louis c]

3. I'm not talking about what he meant.

We all know what he meant. I'm talking about the Trump enablers who try to explain his racism in a way that they try to clean up his mess, but don't make any sense, once you evaluate the excuse.

[unblock]

5. his enablers always try to spin things in a way they can pretend is more palatable

and it rarely makes any sense.

and sometimes donnie even shoots them down himself and says, no, i meant to be full-on racist.

as he would in this case.

given an immigrant from a majority-black flourishing democracy, and a white person from an oppressive dictatorship, he'd obviously accept the white person and reject the black person. so he'd shoot down his own spinmeisters on this one.

[lagomorph777]

2. We wouldn't have gotten multiple German physicists

who helped us build the A-bomb. And Hitler might have gotten first.

[unblock]

4. the bigger problem is that he would have signed us up on hitler's side.

[louis c]

6. Alas, I think you're correct

Trump actually agrees with the original meaning of America First.

Trump-Limburg 1940--America First

[former9thward]

7. Any year in the 1930s is not a great example.

Trump would have like the policy of the 1930s. In 1930 immigration was 242,000. By 1935 it was down to 35,000. It did not recover to 1920s levels until 1950.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immigration_to_the_United_States

With respect to Jews immigrating from Germany again 1930s a poor example. The ship St.Louis carrying almost 1000 Jews attempting to flee Germany was turned away by the U.S. in 1939. Roosevelt could have issued an executive order to let them in but did not. The ship had to return to Europe and many of the Jews who were aboard died in the Holocaust.

https://thumbs-prod.si-cdn.com/K9bKZEbOghmsNyqS3IMPV56cZck=/800x600/filters:no_upscale()/

https://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005267

The U.S. Government Turned Away Thousands of Jewish Refugees, Fearing That They Were Nazi Spies
In a long tradition of “persecuting the refugee,” the State Department and FDR claimed that Jewish immigrants could threaten national security

Read more: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/us-government-turned-away-thousands-jewish-refugees-fearing-they-were-nazi-spies-180957324/#tg2OXe2bpJ0gUoKY.99

[louis c]

8. Oh, I know the history of that time

I know that bigotry played an important role.

However, whatever reprehensible motives laid behind the American policies during that period, including the Japanese-American internment, has been thoroughly repudiated by any thinking American. I'm afraid that Trump still accepts those positions.