Nativism is a political policy or ideology that prioritizes the interests and well-being of native-born or established inhabitants over those of immigrants). It can be expressed through advocating or enacting restrictions on immigration, and those who hold this view tend to reject or avoid the term "nativist" and instead identify themselves as "patriots," "nationalists," or "populists". However, nativism is not equivalent to patriotism, nationalism, or populism; indeed, it has more in common with xenophobia and racism.
Scholars have identified different facets of nativism, including economic, welfare, and symbolic). Economic nativism preaches that good jobs ought to be reserved for native citizens, while welfare nativism insists that native citizens should have absolute priority in access to governmental benefits. Symbolic nativism calls on the society and government to defend and promote the nations cultural heritage).
Nativism was a political factor in the 1790s and in the 1830s–1850s in the United States). The term "nativism" was first used in 1844, and it gained its name from the "Native American" parties of the 1840s and 1850s, which referred to those descended from the inhabitants of the original Thirteen Colonies).
Nativism is often associated with xenophobic nationalism and is an ideology that wants congruence of state and nation, the political and the cultural unit. It perceives all non-natives as threatening, and it is most appealing during periods when people feel the harmony between state and nation is disappearing.
In summary, nativism is a political policy or ideology that prioritizes the interests of native-born or established inhabitants over those of immigrants, and it can be expressed through advocating or enacting restrictions on immigration. It is often associated with xenophobic nationalism and is not equivalent to patriotism, nationalism, or populism.
