“great replacement” theory
What to know
The “great replacement” theory is a white nationalist, antisemitic conspiracy theory alleging that Jews (who are considered nonwhite under this theory) are purposely driving immigrants of color into the US and encouraging interracial marriages, with the ultimate goal of replacing white people. Some proponents of this fringe idea claim it’s meant to suppress white votes and political influence, while others claim it will ultimately wipe out the white race. Some proponents also believe that as people of color immigrate, the country’s white population is birthing fewer children, PBS NewsHour reports. None of these claims has a basis in facts. Sometimes, the word “invasion” is used in reference to the theory, according to the National Immigration Forum.
The conspiracy theory ties back to 20th-century France, first expounded on in the plot of a 1973 novel by the author Jean Raspail, then by the writer Renaud Camus. The latter later delivered a speech, “The Great Replacement,” and wrote a book by the same name. The notion spread from Europe to the US, taking the place of the “white genocide” theory as an idea that was easier for many to grasp, according to VOA News.
Often touted by white supremacists, the theory was referenced at the deadly Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017. The next year, the murderer of 11 congregants at a synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, also put stock in the idea. NPR reports that it was cited in writing by the Buffalo, New York, mass shooter in 2022.
In 2022, a poll by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that one in three Americans believed a group of people is pushing immigrants into the US for electoral wins. Almost 30 percent of those surveyed also worried that a boost in immigration will mean the eventual surrender of economic, political, and cultural influence held by native-born Americans.
If necessary to report on this conspiracy theory, it’s important to ground the ideas in the appropriate context: that it is a fringe idea, which is not supported by facts and which has been used as a justification for racist speech and violence.
Additional resources
- What is the Great Replacement Theory? (VOA News)
- Where “replacement theory” comes from — and why it refuses to go away (Vox)
- A Fringe Conspiracy Theory, Fostered Online, Is Refashioned by the G.O.P. (The New York Times)
- What is the ‘great replacement’ and how is it tied to the Buffalo shooting suspect? (NPR)
Summary
The “great replacement” theory is a white nationalist, antisemitic conspiracy theory alleging that Jews (who are considered nonwhite under this theory) are purposely driving immigrants of color into the US and encouraging interracial marriages, with the ultimate goal of replacing white people. Some proponents of this fringe idea claim it’s meant to suppress white votes and political influence, while others claim it will ultimately wipe out the white race. If necessary to report on this conspiracy theory, it’s important to ground the ideas in the appropriate context: that it is a fringe idea, which is not supported by facts and which has been used as a justification for racist speech and violence.