'Demographic Paranoia': Jelani Cobb on ICE, Race, and the Importance of History

“We are dealing with the consequences of a demographic paranoia now.”

Journalist, historian, and author Jelani Cobb often looks to the past to better understand the present, and he says the right’s pushback against immigration and multiculturalism is rooted in this country’s history. He speaks with Maria Hinojosa about the parallels between recent ICE raids and the Fugitive Slave Act, the importance of solidarity between Black and brown communities, and how we should be thinking about the U.S. as we approach the midterms and the country’s 250th anniversary.

Photo courtesy of Jelani Cobb.

Note: The audio for this episode will be available on Sunday, March 15th, when it drops across all podcast platforms.

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Episode Credits:

Host: Maria Hinojosa

Producer: Reynaldo Leaños Jr.

Editor: Rebeca Ibarra

Fact Checker: Roxana Aguirre

Social Media: Luis Luna, Adreanna Rodrigguez and Anhelo Reyes

Engineer: Stephanie Lebow and Julia Caruso

Managing Editor: Fernanda Echavarri

Executive Producers: Peniley Ramirez and Maria Hinojosa