ProEnglish’s Continued Creep Into the Extreme-Right

Written by Stephen Piggott

Since its inception, anti-immigrant group ProEnglish has been attached at the hip to white nationalism. Its founder, white nationalist John Tanton, started the group after leaving his other English-only project, US English, in disgrace after a racially charged memo written by Tanton surfaced in the media.

In more recent years, ProEnglish remained relatively inactive in comparison to some other Tanton Network groups (FAIR, CIS, NumbersUSA), but that has all changed in the past six months or so. Not only has ProEnglish become much more active, but the group has also started to collaborate further with white nationalists to promote and to seek more ardent support for its cause.

As previously discussed on this… Read more

Familiar Anti-Immigrant, White Nationalist, and Islamophobic Faces at This Year’s CPAC Conference

Written by Stephen Piggott

The agenda for the 2012 CPAC Conference is out and, not surprisingly, some familiar faces from the Islamophobic, anti-immigrant, and white nationalist circles will be participating in the three day event.

On day 1, a panel titled, “The Failure of Multiculturalism: How the Pursuit of Diversity is Weakening the American Identity,” is scheduled. The panel is sponsored by anti-immigrant group ProEnglish, which was founded by white nationalist John Tanton. ProEnglish’s new executive director, Robert Vandervoort, will be a featured speaker along with John Derbyshire of National Review. Vandervoort was recently spotted at a gathering of the white nationalist H.L. Mencken Club.

Peter Brimelow, another recent H.L. Mencken Club attendee,… Read more

FAIR State Contact DA King Solicits Funds Via Organization Run by White Nationalist

Written by Stephen Piggott

Over the past few years, many non-profit and volunteer organizations have had huge financial problems, experiencing the trickledown effect of the credit crisis. Anti-immigrant groups in America are also feeling the squeeze, including the Georgia-based Dustin Inman Society (DIS).

DIS held a fundraiser at the end of last year, using its website to garner attention to the event. For people who could not attend, DIS provided info on how to donate via the internet and other means. One of those is making out a check to “U.S. Inc – THE GEORGIA PROJECT,” and sending it to an address in Petoskey, Michigan. Petoskey happens to be the home of white nationalist John Tanton,… Read more

Cross-Post: Year of the Immigrant

Written by Stephen Piggott

Originally posted on the‘Campaign Stops’ blog of the New York Times Opinion Pages on January 12.


Although everyone is talking about the presidential election this year, I am much more excited about the role of immigrants in the politics of 2012. It’s not a year like 2009 when we waited anxiously for a new president and Congress to create a sensible solution for immigration reform. Those hopes are long gone. They have been replaced by new fears aroused by draconian laws that emerged from Alabama, Arizona and Georgia.

I worry, yes, but I am also optimistic about three trends: the growing importance of the Latino and Asian vote; increased… Read more

Cross-Post: Phoenix’s Future: A new book claims that Arizona’s right-wingers are the biggest obstacle on the path to sustainability

Written by Stephen Piggott

Review by the Tucson Weekly on December 22.


I walked past the Occupy Tucson camp the other day and stopped for while to watch a hacky-sack game. I read a few of the cardboard slogans, talked to a guy with booze on his breath, and left wishing that I could buy the group a few copies of Andrew Ross’ new book to pass around.

Invited to train his sharp, critical eye on the Sonoran Desert’s megalopolis by Arizona State University’s Future Arts Research program, Ross, a professor of social and cultural analysis at New York University, interviewed some 200 Phoenicians during his stay, including urban gardeners, environmental-justice activists, academics working on the sharp… Read more

CA Assemblyman Tim Donnelly Caught with Loaded Gun in Airport, Blames DREAMers

Written by Stephen Piggott

Traditionally the first week back from the winter holidays is a tough one. Getting back into the daily routine can be difficult after an extended break full of merrymaking.  California Assemblyman Tim Donnelly took this old adage to the new level last week when he both made a high profile gaffe and had to come to terms with a major failure in his battle against immigration in the state of California.

On Wednesday, January 4, Donnelly was cited and released after airport security found a loaded handgun in his carry-on bag at LA-Ontario International Airport. According to newspaper reports, Donnelly was carrying a “.45-caliber Colt Mark IV handgun with four rounds of ammunition… Read more

The Tanton Network’s 10 Biggest Gaffes of 2011

Written by Stephen Piggott

As we reflect on the passing of another year, the John Tanton Network provides us with a number of gaffes which not only expose their nativist ties but also the Network’s relationships with the extreme far right, with anti-Semites and white nationalists among them. Here’s the list:

10. Anti-immigrant lawyer Kris Kobach was given a $5000 fine for inaccurately reporting more than $75,000 in contributions and expenditures from his 2010 election cycle. Kobach is a lawyer for the anti-immigrant group Immigration Reform Law Institute (IRLI), founded by white nationalist John Tanton. Instead of accepting the fine and admitting his mistakes, Kobach decided to go down the conspiratorial path, ranting about the… Read more

Tanton Network Leaps to the Defense of Arpaio After Scathing DOJ Report Released

Written by Stephen Piggott

Last week the Department of Justice published a scathing 22-page report on the policies and actions of the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO). The sheriff in Maricopa County is, of course, none other than Joe Arpaio. Arpaio’s civil rights violations have been scrutinized for years by immigrant and civil rights organizations, and now with this report the DOJ is fully backing up their claims.

Among the findings are the following:

  • Latino drivers are four-to-nine times more likely to be stopped than similarly situated non-Latino drivers on Maricopa County roadways.
  • Roughly one-fifth of traffic-related incident reports, almost all of which involved Latino drivers, contained information indicating that the stops were conducted in

… Read more

Nativists & Tanton Network Disgrace Joaquin Luna Jr.’s Life & Death

Written by Stephen Piggott

After the tragic suicide of undocumented immigrant Joaquin Luna Jr. late last month, the immigrant community as a whole came together in mourning.

The anti-immigrant movement in the United States also stood collectively, but instead of mourning his tragic death, they showed their more sinister side by lambasting the Luna family for their comments indicating that their son’s death could have been motivated by his undocumented status.

Barbara Coe, a longtime anti-immigrant activist out of southern California who is known for her outright racist remarks against Muslims and immigrants, stated the following in an email after Luna’s death:

“Yet another sicko yellow-belly coward illegal alien “sob story”? We wonder how law-abiding American citizen kids feel

… Read more

Turmoil at ProEnglish: Organization Founded by John Tanton Names Fourth Executive Director in Eight Months

Written by Stephen Piggott

Just over a year ago, anti-immigrant group ProEnglish launched a slick new website, and then two months later, in Oklahoma, an official English-only ballot measure passed with 76% of the vote. All was looking very good for ProEnglish as they entered 2011, but with the New Year came new problems and strife within the organization, which was founded by white nationalist John Tanton.

ProEnglish started the year with Jayne Cannava holding the executive director role. One of the few times Cavanna spoke publically was in February 2011 at the CPAC conference in Washington, DC. After a panel that she was on was opened up to the audience for a Q&A session, a… Read more