Politics

Tanton and FAIR Draw the Attention of New York Times Once Again

Written by Imagine 2050 Editors

After FAIR quietly dropped white nationalist John Tanton from its board this week, The New York Times felt compelled to write a follow-up piece to its feature on the man two weeks ago. Following is an excerpt of what appeared in yesterday’s online edition:

WASHINGTON — On this much, both sides agree: John Tanton, the provocative architect of a national movement to reduce immigration, has quietly left the board of the group he started and helped guide for 32 years.

But when did it happen and what does it mean?

Dr. Tanton, a Michigan ophthalmologist, has been a magnet for criticism since the 1980s, for writings that appear to

… Read more

NumbersUSA Adds to its Presidental Candidates Grid

Written by Imagine 2050 Editors

Anti-immigrant group NumbersUSA added two new potential 2012 Presidential candidates to its candidates grid last week. The grid grades potential 2012 Presidential candidates on how closely their views on immigration align with NumbersUSA’s anti-immigrant views. The two candidates added, Donald Trump and Herman Cain received grades of “D-” and “D+” respectively.

Immigration

Students on Frontline in Fight Against Hate

Written by Cloee Cooper

This week in the border town of Tucson, Arizona, high school students chained themselves to the chairs of school board members in a struggle against a ban on ethnic studies.

When Tucson Unified School District’s governing board prepared to meet on Tuesday night, students, local members of the LGBT activist community, African American community, teachers, union representatives and members of the religious community filled the hall. Within moments, high school students had chained themselves to the seats of the School Board and filled the hall. Chants soon reverberated against the walls:

“Our education is under attack. What do we do? We fight back!”

Immigration

Biking Beyond Bigotry Launches in Arizona

Written by Imagine 2050 Editors

The Center for New Community, a national civil rights organization based in Chicago, is sponsoring a bicycle speaking tour on wheels, called Biking Beyond Bigotry. Over the course of the next week ten environmentalists from across the nation will pedal 330 miles to speak out against the greening of hate.

The bikers set off tomorrow morning in Flagstaff, Arizona and will end their tour in Tucson, Arizona on Thursday, May 5.

Politics

Mark Krikorian Calls Muslims “Vicious People”

Written by Brian Schultz

In the last week, many have questioned the principle of “guilt by association.” On April 17, Jason DeParle published an article in the New York Times on seminal white nationalist John Tanton, and since then the constellation of organizations he founded have scrambled to disavow his contribution to their agendas.

Their strategy has been to decry a purported “guilt by association” smear campaign, one that they claim undermines their credibility without actually engaging their arguments.

Maybe that’s a fair criticism. Indeed, no one needs to evoke their founder to condemn their projects. These organizations can speak for themselves. It certainly wasn’t Tanton that gave us this tidbit yesterday afternoon:

“I’m afraid

… Read more

Politics

Anti-Immigrant Group Dumps White Nationalist

Written by Jill Garvey

Amid intense pressure from the media and civil rights groups, anti-immigrant organization Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) dumped white nationalist John Tanton from its board of directors.

John Tanton isn’t any ordinary board member; he founded FAIR in 1979, and has served on the board for 32 years. Tanton’s departure comes just 10 days after a front-page article appeared in the New York Times Sunday edition.

According to K.C. McAlpin, a former FAIR staffer and the man who recently took over Tanton’s foundation U.S. Inc., Tanton himself made the decision to leave the board. Bob Dane, a FAIR spokesperson, backed up that claim, telling Imagine 2050 that Tanton’s decision to… Read more

PFIR Issues Earth Day Response

Written by Imagine 2050 Editors

The anti-immigrant group Progressives for Immigration Reform (PFIR) posted an Earth Day blog this week, stating that US leaders need to do more to protect the environment. PFIR blamed immigrants for environmental degradation in the United States.

Politics

FAIR Employee Published in White Nationalist Journal

Written by Stephen Piggott

Last month, we reported that an employee of the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) testified with another controversial anti-immigrant group Americans for Immigration Control (AIC). The man who represented FAIR at that hearing was the director of special projects, Jack Martin. Martin appeared on the radar again recently when he appeared in the latest edition of the white nationalist journal, The Social Contract (TSC).

TSC is edited by white nationalist Wayne Lutton and is published by John Tanton, who was recently profiled in a front page article in the Sunday edition of the New York Times.

Politics

Anti-Immigrant Groups Attack New York Times

Written by Jill Garvey

The New York Times article that ran last week on white nationalist John Tanton and the organizations he created, elicited heated responses from the anti-immigrant groups it profiled.

Much was made in the article about Tanton’s involvement with the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR); he founded the organization and still sits on its board of directors.

NPG Releases Updated Fact Sheet

Written by Imagine 2050 Editors

Anti-immigrant group, Negative Population Growth (NPG) released an updated version of its fact sheet and poster that will be sent to classrooms across the country. The fact sheet and poster blame immigration for the increases in population in the United States.