nationalism
Last updatedWhat to know
While citizenship is a legal relationship between an individual and a state, “nationalism” is a sense of belonging to a place, or a people united by language, culture, customs, or religion — even if the society is seemingly secular.
In the US, rituals such as reciting the Pledge of Allegiance in schools or singing the national anthem at sports events serve to reinforce feelings of nationalism. Such a concept suggests unification and is often associated with independence and liberation; however, it can be exclusive and insular. Immigrants, and descendants of immigrants, who arrive with their own cultures can be perceived by members of host societies as threatening nationalist traditions, resulting in nativism — an exclusionary, xenophobic nationalism that attempts to ground itself in a more “pure” national identity and cannot tolerate perceived changes in social norms.
In the political sphere, this type of nationalism — manifesting most clearly in the US as white nationalism — usually results in the promotion of increasingly restrictive immigration policies; in the public sphere, it can fuel a xenophobia that endangers the lives of those perceived to be “other.”
When reporting about this topic, it can help to be specific about the type of nationalism you are referring to and to give some explanation for the term, for example white nationalism, which focuses on the supposed superiority of white people over nonwhite people; or ethnonationalism, which defines nationalism in terms of a shared ethnicity.
Additional resources
- Nationalism in an Era of Record Migration (Center for Migration Studies)
- Can American nationalism be saved? (Vox)
- The Migrant Other: Exclusion without Nationalism? (Cambridge University Press)
Summary
“Nationalism” is a sense of belonging to a place or a people united by language, culture, customs, or religion. It’s often associated with independence and liberation but can be exclusive and insular. When reporting about this topic, it can help to be specific about the type of nationalism you are referring to and to give some explanation for the term, for example white nationalism, which focuses on the supposed superiority of white people over nonwhite people; or ethnonationalism, which defines nationalism in terms of a shared ethnicity.