SYMPOSIUM David FitzGerald's and David Cook-Martín's Culling the Masses: The Democratic Origins of Racist Immigration Policy in the Americas

Open Access

Abstract

In writing Culling the Masses: The Democratic Origins of Racist Immigration Policy in the Americas, David FitzGerald and David Cook-Martín sought to explore the complex historical relationship between immigration, democracy and racism. Drawing on a comparative analytical framework, they produced a historically informed account of the origins of racist policies on immigration in a range of countries in the Americas. Their account has attracted the attention of scholars working in a wide range of different national contexts. As editors, we feel that their arguments will be of interest to readers of Ethnic and Racial Studies Review and we are pleased that the various scholars we invited to take part in this symposium took up the challenge of discussing key themes in Culling the Masses. In the end, we have brought together five critical commentaries on the book and the authors provide a robust response to the key arguments to be found in the commentaries. In writing Culling the Masses: The Democratic Origins of Racist Immigration Policy in the Americas, David FitzGerald and David Cook-Martín sought to explore the complex historical relationship between immigration, democracy and racism. Drawing on a comparative analytical framework, they produced a historically informed account of the origins of racist policies on immigration in a range of countries in the Americas. Their account has attracted the attention of scholars working in a wide range of different national contexts. As editors, we feel that their arguments will be of interest to readers of Ethnic and Racial Studies Review and we are pleased that the various scholars we invited to take part in this symposium took up the challenge of discussing key themes in Culling the Masses. In the end, we have brought together five critical commentaries on the book and the authors provide a robust response to the key arguments to be found in the commentaries.