The “great replacement” theory, in simple terms, states that positive immigration policies are part of a plot designed to undermine or “replace” the political power and culture of white people living in Western countries.
Antecedents and precursors to the “great replacement” theory have always been present. Recognizing this broader history, we can trace the replacement theory’s modern use from French nationalist authors to fringe alt-right xenophobes. In 1973, the French author Jean Raspail wrote a novel titled The Camp of the Saints, an apocalyptic tale that attempts to depict the destruction of white, Western society at the hands of mass immigration from the Global South. In 2012, Renaud Camus, another Frenchman heavily influenced by Raspail, authored a book titled The Great Replacement. In the book, Camus argues that white Europeans “are being reverse colonized by Black and Brown immigrants.
Throughout the 2010s, the term — and the theory — slowly began to catch hold among fringe right and white supremacist figures. As asylum-seeking migrants sought refuge in southern Europe and then on the U.S.-Mexico border, the theory began to emerge from more mainstream sources.
Source: https://edition.cnn.com
Evil, hate and violence have sprung directly from the “great replacement” theory.
On Aug. 11, 2017, hundreds of individuals representing anti-semitic and white supremacist groups including the Ku Klux Klan gathered for the “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, a two-day event that sparked extreme violence and led to the death of a counterprotester. The extremists kicked off the rally by referencing the “great replacement” theory, chanting “You will not replace us” and “Jews will not replace us.”
On Oct. 27, 2018, 11 congregants in a Pittsburgh synagogue were killed in one of the deadliest attacks against the Jewish community in the U.S. The shooter’s belief in the “great replacement” theory precipitated the attack, as he believed that HIAS, a Jewish American nonprofit organization that provides aid and assistance to refugees, was working to “bring invaders in that kill our people.”
On March 15, 2019, 51 people were killed in consecutive terrorist attacks on mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand. The shooter’s manifesto repeatedly and directly referenced replacement theory. Its title was The Great Replacement.
On Aug. 3, 2019, 23 people were killed in a mass shooting at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas. The terrorist targeted Latino shoppers, and his manifesto referenced the “great replacement” theory and fears of a “Hispanic invasion of Texas.” The manifesto also listed the Christchurch shooter as an inspiration. How is the ‘Great Replacement’ Theory Being Used Today?
Tucker Carlson (Fox News Network) has explicitly touted the “great replacement” theory on his broadcast multiple times. He referenced it directly for the first time on an April 8 episode of Tucker Carlson Tonight, and then again on Sept. 22. Other political figures on the right and far-right have also brazenly endorsed the theory.
When faced with a dark and extreme ideology like this, it can feel overwhelming and like it’s impossible to make a difference. However, we have the power to educate ourselves and be catalysts for change.
Learn more about its history. Help others understand where statements and theories like these originate. Share this resource and talk with your loved ones and friends. Amplify the voices of those who have spoken out against theories like these.
As Martin Luther King Jr. said “darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that”.
Reference:
The “Great Replacement” Theory, Explained, National Immigration Forum
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