"Illegals": The New Face of Willie Horton

The current election season has played host to a number of ads from candidates perhaps hoping to capitalize on whites’ negative associations with Latinos. As the now most infamously racist political ad – the 1988 “Willie Horton” spot – demonstrated, such images effectively bring to the forefront racial attitudes in white voters, allowing them to associate a program that facilitated a heinous crime with a black face. But as Tali Mendelberg points out in The Race Card, such a message can only work until it is recognized as being racist, otherwise whites distance themselves from the message; a backlash may even result.

The issue of illegal immigration has provided a platform for appeals to xenophobia and racial stereotypes in a number of elections around the country. For example, in the race for the Illinois sixth district (suburban Chicago), which is being vacated by retiring Republican Henry Hyde, the National Republican Congressional Committee has launched two ads that feature video footage of Latinos climbing over a fence, wading through water, and being arrested. There is a picture of two smiling Latinos in front of a social security check, as the narrator explains that the Democrat, Tammy Duckworth, supports handouts for “illegals.” In one of the spots, that image is juxtaposed with a picture of a white family as the narrator says “even though Illinois families would have to foot the bill.”

Though the images here implicitly tap into racial prejudices about Latinos, the language is actually softer than that employed by Duckworth’s opponent, Peter Roskam’s, own ad. Roskam uses similar imagery of individuals climbing fences, but rather than “illegals,” uses the more dehumanizing “illegal aliens.” His ad similarly shows a white family when the narrator claims that Duckworth promises to raise taxes “for us.” The “us” is clearly white Americans, not just those who are in the country legally.

Spots by first-term Republican House member Geoff Davis (KY-4) and Republican Randy Graf (running for the AZ-7 seat being vacated by Jim Kolbe) link immigration issues with drugs, terrorism, crime and 9/11.

Democrat John Cranley’s immigration ads that contrast his policy with incumbent Republican Steve Chabot’s are no less tough-sounding, but Cranley uses the phrase “illegal immigrants” instead of “aliens,” and his images are limited to a simulated road sign indicating a family running, and some half-screen footage of border crossers.

Republican challenger Scott Tipton (CO-3) has an ad that is much less likely to prime racial stereotypes. While he includes one obscure image of a person running in slow motion, the majority of the spot features pictures of Tipton and an explanation of his policy on “illegal immigration.”

In Republican Van Taylor’s (TX-17) “Liberal Double-Talk” spot, he uses images of Latinos to bolster his argument that his opponent, incumbent Democrat Chet Edwards, has flip-flopped on this issue.

But in his “Borders” ad, he makes no mention or provides no images of Latinos at all,but rather keeps the focus on securing borders to stop terrorists and drugs from entering the country. Such an appeal does not rely on racial stereotypes.

Only time will tell whether these message will be accepted or rejected, as well as the candidates who espouse them.