White Identity and Ethno-Traditional Nationalism in Trump's America

Abstract

As the white share of America continues to decline, white identity is becoming more important for politics. I show that white identity is considerably stronger among whites who are attached to their ancestry, i.e. Irish, 'American' or Italian. Accordingly, we should see it as more reflective of cultural attachment than a desire for politico-economic advantage. In addition, a separate dynamic I term ethno-traditional American nationalism, is important. This is not white nationalism, but a form of American national identity in which ethnocultural elements form an important part but do not, like the American accent, form a condition of equal national membership. Ethno-traditional nationalism is about the 'what is American' question of symbolic attachment, rather than the 'who is American' question of which groups belong and are excluded, that has received the lion's share of academic attention.