This research is titled American Islamophobia: What Does the History of American Nativism Teach Us? The study is predicated on examining the treatment of other minority groups in American history. We look to see if any trends exist between groups, and if lessons of assimilation and tolerance can be applied to American Muslims. This research coincides with a period of Islamophobia which has been increasing since 9/11. Case studies were the primary methodology of the research. We examined immigration waves throughout American history: the Irish, Chinese, non-Western Europeans, Japanese, and Latin influxes. These are then compared to the modern realities of Muslim immigration. We find that the same xenophobic arguments reoccur for every wave, divided into economic, social/racial/cultural, and political fears. We find that immigrants have constantly been used as scapegoats in times of national distress. In addition, we find American politics to be rather paranoid. A tolerant nation requires alleviating the underpinnings of nativism: economic insecurity, homogenous interactions, media literacy, and immigration reform.
