White nationalist rhetoric has become common in U.S. mainstream politics – and some educators point out that it also has a long history of prevalence in the North State.
Chico State University professor Shawn Schwaller said such language is now common in this “extreme political climate,” and its use has been increasing since 2016. Extremist language often affects, in particular, marginalized communities.
“When you hear Trump and his cronies talk about immigration, they sound a lot like the nativist supporters of the State of Jefferson movement in the North State, who have sought for years to break a portion of Northern California off from the rest of the state to create a white ethno state,” Schwaller said.