The New Nativism: Proposition 187 and the Debate over Immigration

In 1994, California voters flocked to the polls in record numbers because of a ballot measure - Proposition 187 - that was designed to deny social services to undocumented immigrants. A majority of voters favored the proposition, and accusations of racism flew in all directions. A U.S. District Court ultimately overturned it, but to this day Proposition 187 represents a watershed moment in the immigration debate. Examining the dynamics of that political battle, The New Nativism questions racism as the motivating factor for political action both at the time and in the high-stakes, hotly contested immigration debates of today.