The US Border Patrol was established in 1924 to monitor America's border with Mexico. While many assume their mission was to regulate the movement of Mexican laborers, their original target were Asians.
In this episode, Julia Young of Catholic University discusses how America's immigration laws originated with the goal of shaping the racial makeup of the United States, how the trends in migration over the Mexican border were created by demand for cheap labor, and how the arguments that migrants crossing into the US from Latin America bring crime into the country and strain government resources have been applied to new arrivals into the country throughout history.
You can listen to the full episode via the player below, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other podcast platforms.