Xenophobia is Greek for "fear of aliens." This is what anyone gets after watching Alien for the first time, but it's not how the word is used. It means fear of people from other countries, and usually gets narrowed down to people from other countries who want to live in your country.
Immigrants.
The Alien and Sedition Acts have that word "alien" right up front, two have it in their names, and three are all about policing their behavior.
It's also important to note that the United States was super-young and democracy was still very much an experiment. That's the reason for the provision (for example) in the law that states the president must be "native-born." They didn't want a foreign aristocrat to take over and dismantle the system.
Questions About Fear
- Many believe there is some justification for the waiting period that the Naturalization Act lengthened. What do you think would be an acceptable waiting period to become a citizen? How did you arrive at that number?
- The Alien Friends and Alien Enemies Act treat people from friendly and enemy countries in different ways. Does this make sense? Why or why not? How should treatment differ, if at all?
- The Sedition Act is designed to protect the government from speech and action it finds frightening. How much should a government fear its citizens if at all?
- While the Alien and Sedition Acts might have been motivated by fear of political enemies, how was the general fear of the public harnessed? Is there a case where fear can be used for good?
Chew on This
Any amount of xenophobia is too much. The doors should be open for all to immigrate if they so desire, and in doing so can only enhance the vibrant culture of America.
While most immigrants are good people, there are those who would use any relaxation in immigration laws as a way to get in commit crime. We must be vigilant against these people, and the Alien and Sedition Acts were the first attempt.