What would an anti immigration person be called?

Answer 1

A "nativist" prefers and favors to protect the interests of the long time inhabitants of an area or nation, versus any rights or claims of newcomers or immigrants. So in the late 1800s USA, coal mine companies placed advertising in newspapers in England, Ireland, Italy, etc. The men who immigrated (with their families) were often experienced coal miners in their native countries; European countries performed mining many years before the USA. But in the bituminous coal fields extending from West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana these immigrants were consistently just called "foreigners"--i.e. newspapers didn't even give the men the dignity of using the person's name. "Foreigner" miners were often thought of as lawless, imprudent, rash, impatient, thieves, etc. The biggest problem was language barriers, so the immigrant could not defend himself very well. The attitudes against "foreigner coal miners" persisted in some areas up until at least the 1940s-1950s. Many of these same immigrant families had men who served in World War I and World War II and often, it was through their participation and bravery in battle that US citizens began to see beyond "the immigrant" to see the person. Acceptance for some ethnic groups is still slow, even though the first immigrant entered the country between 1880 and 1900. So, nativism and nativist attitudes persist. Now, students only see nativism against the newest groups of immigrants, such as Mexicans. But, the issue extends far back into history-- AND the problem exists in ALL countries, not just the USA, based on ideas that immigrants use resources and do not contribute to the prosperity of a nation.