James O'Brien Uncovers Sinister Echoes Of 1938 In Trump's Description Of Immigrants
9 August 2019, 14:27
How important is the language of the media in how we see immigrants? James O'Brien compared US policies with those in 1938 - and the result is extremely eye-opening.
Magdalena Gomez Gregorio, whose undocumented father was rounded up during a sweep of Mississippi food processing plants, made an emotional plea to Immigration officials to reunite her with her father.
James believes the way people talk about immigrants is important, whether it's "aliens" in 1938 or "illegals" in 2019.
The 1938 Daily Mail article read: "'The way stateless Jews from Germany are pouring in from every port of this country is becoming an outrage. I intend to enforce the law to its fullest.' In these words, Mr Herbert Metcalfe, the Old Street magistrate yesterday referred to the number of aliens entering this country through the back door, a problem towards which the Daily Mail has repeatedly pointed.
"The number of aliens entering this country can be seen by the number of prosecutions in recent months. It is very difficult for the alien to escape the vigilance of the police and port authorities.
"Even if aliens manage to break through the defences, it is not long before they are caught and deported."
Speaking after reading the article, James said: "We get very rose-tinted when we look back upon the Second World War, the events that led up to it, but the idea that in 1938, a major newspaper in this country could be condemning German Jews for fleeing Germany is quite salutary, isn't it?
"How could readers of that newspapers then have been persuaded that these human beings were somehow sub-human? Answer: call them aliens.
"Or in modern America, call them illegals.
"Where does it lead? It leads to this," before he played the clip of Magdalena Gomez Gregorio's emotional plea.
It's a very alarming comparison and one that deserves thought. Watch James's full monologue at the top of the page.
