{"id":2797,"date":"2016-08-01T10:00:46","date_gmt":"2016-08-01T15:00:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/ssn\/?p=2797"},"modified":"2016-08-01T10:00:46","modified_gmt":"2016-08-01T15:00:46","slug":"trump-and-racial-profiling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/ssn\/2016\/08\/01\/trump-and-racial-profiling\/","title":{"rendered":"Donald Trump and the Dynamics of American Public Opinion about Racial Profiling"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Photo by Andrea Barisani via Flickr.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In the early morning hours on June 12, 2016, Omar Mateen killed dozens of patrons in a horrific mass shooting at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida. Mateen was a U.S.-born citizen of immigrant parents from Afghanistan, and during the attack he pledged allegiance to the international terrorist group Islamic State. The reaction of Republican presidential nominee Donald J. Trump was to reiterate his previously declared concerns about Muslims entering the United States.<\/p>\n

<\/div>Not only did Trump promise to suspend immigration from parts of the world tied to terrorism against the United States, he also charged that Muslim Americans were complicit, maintaining, \u201cThey know what is going on. They know that he was bad. They knew the people in San Bernardino were bad. But you know what, they didn’t turn them in and we had death and destruction.\u201d Trump continued, \u201cpeople who know what was going on, they knew exactly, but they used the excuse of racial profiling for not reporting it. Which was probably an excuse given to them by their lawyer so they don’t get in trouble.\u201d A few days later, he called for increased surveillance of American mosques, saying, \u201cWe have to maybe check, respectfully, the mosques and we have to check other places because this is a problem that, if we don’t solve it, it’s going to eat our country alive.\u201d<\/p>\n

Trump\u2019s remarks were criticized for lumping together all Muslims, immigrants and citizens, mainstream and radicalized. In its coverage of the speech, the New York Times<\/em> wrote, \u201che was wagering that voters are stirred more by their fears of Islamic terrorism than any concerns they may have about his flouting traditions of tolerance and respect for religious diversity.\u201d Observers wonder whether Trump is making an effective bet about Americans\u2019 views. Many elected Republicans have distanced themselves from their candidate\u2019s remarks, but what about the American public overall? As a political scientist who studies public opinion about policies related to the nation\u2019s changing ethnic composition, I have given careful thought to this issue.Trump\u2019s remarks after the Pulse shootings were criticized for lumping together all Muslims, immigrants and citizens, mainstream and radicalized. In its coverage, the New York Times<\/em> wrote, \u201che was wagering that voters are stirred more by their fears of Islamic terrorism than any concerns they may have about his flouting traditions of tolerance and respect for religious diversity.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Views about Racial Profiling in the Wake of Terrorism<\/h3>\n

Although it is too early to know for sure how Trump\u2019s reaction to the Orlando mass murder are resonating with the electorate, research I conducted a few years after the 9\/11 terrorist attacks sheds some light on public views. In a nationally representative survey conducted in 2004, I asked some respondents, \u201cSince September 11th<\/sup>, some law enforcement agencies have stopped and searched people who are Arab or of Middle Eastern descent to see if they may be involved in potential terrorist activities. Do you approve or disapprove of this kind of profiling?\u201d I also asked half of the respondents, \u201cIf there were another terrorist attack in the U.S. with Arab or Middle-Eastern suspects, would you support or oppose allowing the government to hold Arabs who are U.S. citizens in camps until it can be determined whether they have links to terrorist organizations?\u201d The other half was asked the same question but with \u201cArab immigrants\u201d replacing \u201cArabs who are U.S. citizens.\u201d It is important to note that my questions asked about people who are Arab or Middle Eastern while Donald Trump\u2019s comments are targeted at Muslims. Although these groups are not synonymous, many Americans arguably have trouble distinguishing among them. Indeed, surveys show that many Americans even confuse Sikhs with Arabs and Muslims.<\/p>\n

<\/div>Overall, my study revealed broad support \u2013 from 66% of respondents \u2013 for increased searches of people who are Arab and Middle Eastern. In addition, in 2004 roughly one third of Americans supported placing such people in camps until their innocence could be determined. Specifically, 34% supported interning Arab and Middle Eastern immigrants,<\/em> while almost as many respondents, some 29.5%, supported interning U.S. citizens<\/em> from Arab or Middle Eastern backgrounds.My 2004 study revealed broad support \u2013 from 66% of respondents \u2013 for increased searches of people who are Arab and Middle Eastern.<\/span><\/p>\n