Gender, Culture, and the Multiracial Right
Cristina Beltran, Associate Professor of Social and Cultural Analysis at NYU, “Brown Girl with a Gun.”
Despite the fact that numerous studies showing white citizens who support hegemonic notions of masculinity and who hold discriminatory views of racial and/or sexual minorities are more likely to be Republicans, these same voters are nevertheless increasingly enthusiastic about supporting Republican candidates that are women and/or racial minorities. This chapter seeks to explore this counter-intuitive fact by drawing on intersectional scholarship to consider a particular segment of GOP candidates that is growing in both size and importance: conservative Mexican American women. More specifically, this chapter focuses on the successful election (and re-election) of former New Mexico Governor Republican Susana Martinez. Deploying her identity as a Republican Latina in ways both novel and self-consciously intersectional, Martinez produced unexpected aesthetic and affective assemblages that appealed to various voting populations. Approaching Martinez as a groundbreaking figure in the history of Latinx politics, and bringing together an inter- and intra-disciplinary body of scholarship, this essay argues that attending to the performative, aesthetic, and affective dimensions of voter identification — particularly the unexpected associations and affinities that occur across the lines of race, class, sexuality, and gender—reveals how such cross-cutting forms of identification are capable of creating novel political assemblages and electoral coalitions that will only become more important as conservative Latinas and other women of color become more familiar players in the public sphere.
Priscilla Yamin, Professor at Hunter College CUNY, “‘She’s the sister you never had': Conservative Online Women’s Magazines and the Politics of Race."
In 2019, Evie, a conservative online women’s magazine for young women was launched. Brittany Martinez, founder and editor of Evie, describes it as a “conservative cosmo.” Undermining the stereotype of the conservative white woman, Evie and another magazine, The Conservateur, represent an attempt create a multiracial feminist politics of the right. Through an analysis of Evie and The Conservateur, I unpack and analyze the ways in which race, gender and sexuality shape this “next generation digital publication for young women by young women” reconfiguring left and right “feminist” empowerment narratives and creating a new kind of political socialization. These online magazines generate both a new multiracial conservatism, while at the same time, reaffirm and support traditional, essentialist gender views of women. Turning liberal feminism on its head, they make arguments that birth control and abortion are instruments of the white supremacist, capitalist patriarchy, rather than tools to fight against it. Though the articulation of their identities as feminine, natural, virtuous, empowered and unbiased, young conservative women resist and rename what they perceive as the regulatory effects of hegemonic gendered, raced and classed discourses of inequity, while offering tips and tricks of fashion and beauty.
Micah English, PhD Candidate in Political Science at Yale University, and Loren Kajikawa, Associate Professor of Music at George Washington University, “Hip-Hop Republicans: Understanding The Politics of Hip-Hop and Conservatism.”
Though long assumed to be primarily a space for leftist Black radical politics, hip-hop and rap music and musicians are increasingly being utilized in service of right-wing political movements and priorities. This chapter traces how hip-hop and rap music are discussed and deployed in conservative spaces, challenging assumptions about the function of hip-hop, race, and politics. Hip-hop has long been a space of resistance and repudiation towards both major parties, and in the Obama and Trump years has largely been associated with progressivism and the Democratic party. But in 2020, several high-profile Black rappers, including Lil Wayne and Kanye West, professed their support for Republican candidate Donald Trump. Additionally, in the past few years, many conservative and right-wing rappers have successfully utilized rap music for advancing conservative political agendas. How do we make sense of these trends? Grounded in exploration and analysis of hip-hop’s political history, we will explore the relationship between conservatism and hip-hop through more traditional mainstream rappers' engagement with the GOP, right-wing politicians and commentators' embrace of particular aspects of hip-hop, and through right-wing rappers' utilization of hip-hop music and culture.
Bruno Seraphin, Assistant Professor of Anthropology at the University of Connecticut, and April Anson, Associate Professor of English at the University of Connecticut, “Supremacists Gone Native.”
The Diasporic and Global Right
Y Thien Nguyen, Research Associate for the US-Vietnam Research Center at the University of Oregon, “Understanding the historical foundations of Vietnamese American conservatism.”
This chapter takes a historical approach to understanding the formation of a conservative political consciousness among Vietnamese Americans. The chapter historically traces the evolution and transformation of Vietnamese anticommunism, linking nation-building in South Vietnam to community-formation in Vietnamese refugee communities. While a “conservative” political consciousness within contemporary Vietnamese America has clearly been influenced by the community’s wartime and refugee past, the chapter argues that this consequence is neither automatic nor inevitable. Political “conservatism” in Vietnamese America is product of both the “consolidation” of anticommunism in South Vietnamese political culture, as well as contingent developments following 1975 which allowed former political and military leaders to re-seize the reign of legitimacy in Vietnamese exile politics. These former elites were able to regain political power within Vietnamese refugee communities, in part, by deploying familiar anticommunist rhetoric to address the community’s anguish over the loss of nation, respond to Vietnam’s invasion of Cambodia, and advocate for refugee resettlement in the United States. Extending this argument into the contemporary period, the chapter demonstrates that Vietnamese American support for the Trump candidacy in 2016 and 2020 signifies not only the continued ideological hold of anticommunism over community politics, but also the ability of Trump campaign to address key policy concerns important to the contemporary Vietnamese American electorate (namely, the rise of leftist politics in the Democratic Party and the continued threat of China in the South China Seas). The chapter concludes with a discussion on contradictions within Asian American politics and the ramifications if these contradictions are left unaddressed.
Sangay Mishra, Associate Professor of Political Science and International Relations at Drew University, “Indian Americans, Hindu Nationalism, and Conservative Electoral Orientation.”
This chapter explores the ways that diasporic nationalism and religious identity affects the political opinions and actions of Indian Americans in the context of U.S. politics alongside diasporic political engagements. During Donald Trump's first presidential campaign, a group of Indian Americans – Hindu Nationalists and Modi supporters – aligned themselves heavily with rightwing politics generally and Trump campaign specifically . The narrative around this emerging alliance suggests that there is a “rightward shift” in the political preferences of Indian Americans, more specifically Hindu Americans. This essay complicates this notion by offering a discussion of the Hindu Right in the U.S., and interrogating whether it is, in fact, truly aligned with the GOP and Trump. In what ways is the Hindu right aligned with the GOP? What are the contradictions? How has Trump’s alliance with Indian Prime Minister President Narendra Modi affected the political opinions of Indian Americans? Do we have reasons to believe that the politics of Indian Americans are moving to the right? The chapter develops a transnational framework to understand the strands of conservative and religious nationalist political orientations among Indian Americans that might find contradictory expressions across borders, not necessarily leading to an increased support for the GOP. (Editor’s note–this essay was not completed in time to be included in the draft manuscript but will be in the final version.)
Asli Igsiz, Associate Professor of Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies at NYU, “Anti-Imperial Imperialism in Turkey.”
Everyone loves an underdog. Traditionally associated with the left, the practice of advocating for the oppressed carries the political and moral legitimacy of fighting for a greater good on behalf of those who are voiceless, politically weak, or socially marginalized. But today these practices are being appropriated and weaponized by the right to great effect in a variety of national contexts. In a show of solidarity with oppressed Mulsims of the world, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan often describes himself as a Black Turk and his country as a rising anti-colonial power. To rehabilitate imperial Spanish ideas and relations,Santiago Abascal, leader of the far-right Vox party, has celebrated the colonial “liberation” of indigenous peoples from the Incan Empire and the “racial mixing” of Latin America. In the United States, rightwing media figures like Candace Owens and Tucker Carlson lead the GOP’s vanguard by embracing Martin Luther King, Jr.’s vision of a “race-neutral” politics while casting Democrats and “Jim Crow Joe” as the party of the KKK and modern systemic racism.
William Callison, Lecturer in Social Studies at Harvard University, “Anti-Liberal Liberalism in Spain.”
Everyone loves an underdog. Traditionally associated with the left, the practice of advocating for the oppressed carries the political and moral legitimacy of fighting for a greater good on behalf of those who are voiceless, politically weak, or socially marginalized. But today these practices are being appropriated and weaponized by the right to great effect in a variety of national contexts. In a show of solidarity with oppressed Mulsims of the world, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan often describes himself as a Black Turk and his country as a rising anti-colonial power. To rehabilitate imperial Spanish ideas and relations,Santiago Abascal, leader of the far-right Vox party, has celebrated the colonial “liberation” of indigenous peoples from the Incan Empire and the “racial mixing” of Latin America. In the United States, rightwing media figures like Candace Owens and Tucker Carlson lead the GOP’s vanguard by embracing Martin Luther King, Jr.’s vision of a “race-neutral” politics while casting Democrats and “Jim Crow Joe” as the party of the KKK and modern systemic racism.
Young People, Intergenerational Organizing, and the Multiracial Right
The Xīn Shēng | 心声 Project, “Feelings Over Facts: The Limits and Possibilities of Challenging Chinese American Conservatism on WeChat.”
This article describes the genesis and efforts of Xin Sheng Project, a collective formed in the wake of George Floyd’s murder in order to combat conservative disinformation on WeChat. It provides an overview of what recent journalistic attention to conservatism on WeChat gets wrong by framing this as a "fact-checking" problem. Basically interrogating the proposed question, "Do conservative Chinese Americans really have “false consciousness” about their racial positionality?" It also explores the information seeking patterns of conservative Chinese Americans. Why is certain information sought out? What sources do people think of as legitimate?
Elizabeth Torres-Griefer, Undergraduate Researcher at Yale University, “Social Media, ‘Conspirituality,’ and the Making of Latina Conservatism.”
How have social media and related aesthetic signifiers served to disseminate far right conspiracy theories among Latina women? This presentation examines a broad range of sources including influencer apps, frameworks of ‘conspirituality,’ – a blend of conspiracy theories and spirituality –and the promotion of right-wing ideas through discussions of wellness, ‘divine femininity,’ and empowerment to explain the growth of conservative identification among some young Latinas. It illustrates how conservative values are embedded in culturally resonant content that recruits young Latinas in particular to right-wing movements. By combining conspirituality with aesthetic appeals, conservatives have pioneered a new, subtle method of recruitment that contrasts sharply with traditional liberal outreach efforts.
Debadatta Chakraborty, PhD Candidate at UMass Amherst, “Hindutva and Hinduphobia: Transnational authoritarianism, gendered-racialized youth mobilization and nationalist politics of the Indian diaspora in the US.”
Several scholars argue that we are witnessing a violent turn towards transnational authoritarianism around the globe in recent years (Juergensmeyer 2017, Pascale 2019). However, when exploring this right-wing global march, the focus is often on the US and Europe. This narrow focus makes us lose sight of attendant postcolonial forms of transnational authoritarianism like Hindu right-wing nationalism (Hindutva). This paper examines the rise of Hindutva in India and its connection to diasporic youth mobilization and pedagogical control, by centering the nationalist politics of the Indian diaspora in the US. It investigates how Indian/Indian American youth in the US, often inspired by multicultural perspectives, understand this right-wing movement and how the movement mobilizes the youth, both as supporters and as resisters. It asks: (1) How are Indian/Indian diasporic youth in the US mobilized in relation to the project of transnational Hindutva? (2) How do transnational, Indian diasporic community-based organizations with headquarters in India employ pedagogy and a rhetoric of decolonization to mobilize the youth both for and against transnational Hindutva in the US? (3) How do these organizations use intersections of racialized religion, gender, caste, and indigeneity through this struggle over pedagogy in relation to transnational Hindutva? (4) What are the interconnections between Hindutva and white supremacy as seen in these groups? To answer these questions, the paper combines data from multi-sited global ethnography, formal semi-structured interviews, and archival work in India and the US. With this data, the author contributes to understanding how right-wing ideas and material practices flow through transnational networks, with a focus on youth mobilization, while also being resisted by counterpublics.
Elections, Candidates, Campaigns, and the Multiracial Right
Corey Fields, Associate Professor of Sociology at Georgetown University, “The Shifting Face of Black Republicans: Interracial Relations within the GOP and the Platforming of Black Conservative Voices.”
Responses to Black Republicans often focus on similarities and differences to other Black people. Yet, only thinking about Black Republicans in relation to other Black people distracts from how relations with White Republicans fundamentally shape the political experiences of Black Republicans. This chapter explores how the desires and preferences of GOP leadership are reflected in the Black Republicans who gain platforms within the broader conservative movement. Accordingly, the face of Black Republicans evolves as the party changes. This was clearly demonstrated during the Trump presidency. While it is still unclear how Trump’s leadership will shape the number of blacks who vote Republican, the nature of who represents Black Republicans certainly shifted under Trump’s leadership of the GOP. Internet celebrities have taken the place of the legislators, military leaders, and judges who used to stand in as the “face” of Black Republicans. Diamond and Silk replaced Mia Love. Sheriff David Clarke became more relevant than General Colin Powell. Candace Owens supplanted Condoleezza Rice. This chapter argues these shifts reflect how the relationship between Black Republicans and GOP leadership simultaneously shapes public perceptions about Black Republicans but also reveals shifts in the direction of the Republican Party.
Minali Aggarwal, PhD Candidate in Political Science and African American Studies at Yale University, “The Politics of Policing: A Case Study on Minneapolis’s ‘Yes 4 Minneapolis’ Campaign and the Blackening of Conservative Politics.”
In the aftermath of the 2020 uprisings against police brutality, cities across the country elected pro-police politicians, passed measures that maintained or strengthened police power, and waged political battles against politicians who supported reducing the size and scope of the criminal justice system. Local and mainstream media and politicians pushed the narrative that it was, in fact, Black voters who voted for punitive candidates and measures. Using Minneapolis as a case study, this essay describes the nuance behind Black support for law enforcement. When Black voters in Minneapolis voted against the charter amendment to disband the Minneapolis Police Department in 2021, it was interpreted nationally as an expression of Black support for the police. Historically, public opinion polls and election results have been used to support the same narrative. This essay uses community debates, local news, and interviews with local organizers to explore the complex opinions that are hidden in polls and election data. It also aims to explore how and why certain narratives are taken up by the media and political elites and what they enable.
Biko Koenig, Associate Professor of Government & Public Policy at Franklin & Marshall College, “Race, Status, and the MAGA Movement.”
Everyone loves an underdog. Traditionally associated with the left, the practice of advocating for the oppressed carries the political and moral legitimacy of fighting for a greater good on behalf of those who are voiceless, politically weak, or socially marginalized. But today these practices are being appropriated and weaponized by the right to great effect in a variety of national contexts. In a show of solidarity with oppressed Mulsims of the world, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan often describes himself as a Black Turk and his country as a rising anti-colonial power. To rehabilitate imperial Spanish ideas and relations,Santiago Abascal, leader of the far-right Vox party, has celebrated the colonial “liberation” of indigenous peoples from the Incan Empire and the “racial mixing” of Latin America. In the United States, rightwing media figures like Candace Owens and Tucker Carlson lead the GOP’s vanguard by embracing Martin Luther King, Jr.’s vision of a “race-neutral” politics while casting Democrats and “Jim Crow Joe” as the party of the KKK and modern systemic racism.
Eddie Kim, Writer and Journalist, “Why Reactionary Politics Are Fueling an Asian-American Backlash.”
The “Asian American” demographic has been a puzzle in the world of politics; while such voters largely identify as Democrat, polls and studies suggest a huge gap in outreach, education and electoral engagement for the broader population. But around America, a loss of faith in “progressive” governance and increasing fears about violence and scarcity is inspiring reactionary politics within Asian communities. Consider San Francisco, where moderates are celebrating the impact of Asian voters on two controversial issues: The recalling of school board members criticized for being ineffective, “anti-Asian,” and obsessed with “wokeness”; and the recall of a district attorney who was lambasted as being soft on crime — in particular, anti-Asian violence. Why is Garry Tan, the head of Y Combinator and a major San Francisco political funder, spreading rhetoric from far-right propagandist Christopher Rufo? This report examines how Asian American political actors have made reactionary politics a key facet of engagement with the Asian voters in local elections, gaining attention from right-wing news and social media in the process.