The immigration debate, for instance, was rarely framed as pure nativism. It was purposefully intertwined with economic concerns. Immigrants were coming to steal people’s jobs, or their benefits, or to put a strain on housing or public services. The immigrant offered a perfect symbol of industrial decline and reduced job security. They could encapsulate a variety of complex problems, with various causes and effects, in the same way that the Jew could encapsulate the reasons for France’s difficulties during the Dreyfus Affair.
