Race-Baiting in American Politics: A Tradition Continues
The Islamophobic attacks on Zohran Mamdani, the New York City mayoral frontrunner, are reminiscent of the xenophobic campaigns waged against Jewish and Catholic candidates a century ago.
He is frequently referred to as a "terrorist supporter", "antisemite", and "foreign invader", which are anti-Muslim racial tropes.
These racial slurs recall the surge in Islamophobia after 9/11, but race-baiting against religious minorities has a longer history in American politics.
The similarities between the anti-Catholic and anti-Jewish race-baiting of the past and the anti-Muslim attacks against Mamdani today are striking.
This phenomenon can be seen in the experiences of the grandparents of today's Irish, Italian, and Jewish-American politicians.
- Anti-Catholic and anti-Jewish race-baiting were common a century ago.
- Today, anti-Muslim attacks are prevalent, particularly against Zohran Mamdani.
Author's summary: Race-baiting against Zohran Mamdani continues a long American tradition.