Comparing metaphors politicians use when debating immigration in the United States
What is it about?
Has the immigration debate in the United States changed over the past century? This paper analyzes the metaphors used in the immigration debate and compares three sources: congressional debates from the 1920s, a speech by President Obama, and a speech by President Trump. It maps and compares everyone's arguments. Interestingly, the debate today is somewhat similar to the debate a century ago.
Why is it important?
The analysis adds a historical perspective to the immigration debate in America, but it also helps us understand the underlying arguments of both sides and how they have changed (or remained unchanged) over time. This is especially important as political polarization has increased in the United States, and as the immigration debate has once again come to the fore of public discourse.