The hats, shirts, and flags that read "Make America Great Again" or MAGA take a hateful, racist stance in the eyes of millions of Americans. Although, this infamous slogan invokes a positive nostalgic past to President Trump and many of his supporters, this nostalgic past that Trump idolizes is racist and hate-filled and caters to the hate and discrimination that we see in our world today. When we start addressing this negativity and hate and countering it with love, our country will truly be the “greatest nation on earth.”
Nostalgia Definitions:
According to author David Newman, nostalgia can be defined through 2 mechanisms that can be used to prove that nostalgia gives way to positive emotions even amidst negative emotions.
1st mechanism: Triggers feelings of nostalgia to restore one’s well-being after a negative experience.
2nd mechanism: Explains that nostalgia serves the self to lead directly to positive outcomes. (ex. people reported higher-self esteem after listening to a nostalgic song and higher optimism about their future after smelling nostalgic scents)
According to author Wijnand Tilburg, nostalgia infuses life with meaning by bridging one’s past with one’s present (Tilburg 521). By reliving the past through nostalgia, one reunites the bonds with others fostering social connectedness.
However, nostalgia is not simply a retreat to the past. Author Clay Routledge describes it as “an effort to bring the past to the present to help with current stressors and goals."
Definitions influence
A changing world makes people worried about their future and place in the world, driving the mind to want to find safety and security in a positive perceived past. Donald Trump uses the slogan MAGA to allow people to cope with this anxiousness. When people fixate on one aspect of the past that they perceive positively, they may be disinclined to consider the less desirable features of past times. Less desirable features such as racism and discrimination that marginalized communities and people of color faced and continue to face in American every day.
Although Trump may have a positive view of America in the past, America was never great. America has drastically changed more in the last 50 years than many other countries have in their entire existence. Laws that allow two people of different races to go to the same school were passed less than 70 years ago.
Nostalgia used in Donald Trump presidency= fosters hate and discrimination in our society
MAGA's influence
MAGA resonated with many older whites because they are fondly using nostalgia to look backward to a “cultural generation gap” or a disconnect between older primarily working-class whites and the increasingly diverse nation America is becoming. Elders want to reflect on a simpler time with less diversity. These perspectives are exactly what Trump targeted. The past wasn't simple and people weren't less sensitive, rather discrimination and racism were just normalized.
One of the most pressing issues that we have faced within the 4 years of Trump's presidency has been the issue of immigration. Should we have more restrictive borders or open our borders up to neighboring countries?President Trump suggests that Mexican immigrants are rapists and criminals, but these racist and generalized claims come from a hatred of falsely perceived threats and a lack of empathy for others.
Author Maria Gravani discusses how nostalgia can be used to view immigrants or foreigners with respect and love. Gravani uses the country Greece to give her argument. In Greece, immigrants are viewed as a vulnerable group and are often prone to discrimination. A study was done asking participants to think and write down about a nostalgic event they have experienced with an immigrant while keeping their individual identity. Empathy manipulation was induced by asking participants to put themselves in the immigrants’ position and feel as if they were the immigrant themselves.
When the individuals did this, the positive effects of nostalgia allowed for the enhancement of social connectedness and overlap to the individual, leading to improved individuals’ attitudes and views on immigrants.
How can we use this?
What does this mean for us?
America is just starting to become a safe place for marginalized communities to speak out and not be afraid. Once people start to realize that America was never great, we can start building this country on love.
I think you raise a very good point, the way that Trump uses nostalgia calls upon an idealized past that is detached from reality. The US has a lot of potential to become the greatest country, but has a lot of work to do in order to get there.
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ReplyDeleteHi Nnenna!
I loved your blog post! I really liked how you used nostalgia and related it to Trump's candidacy and presidency as well as how it should be used instead to foster love. I think the idea of empathy manipulation is so interesting. By imaging how you would feel if you were an immigrant, it really helps people sympathize with them. I wish more people would do this because it would really allow them to realize the hate perpetrated by our current president.
Hey Nnenna! This is very interesting. I have seen so many times that people say America was never great; however, Trump supporters still believe in this slogan. I have been reflecting a lot with the current events, and I have researched how America doesn't like to face their dark past. In history classes, there are maybe two classes focused on slavery, and that is it. Americans need to face that slavery was wrong, and that there is still racism in today's world. If Americans can't face these truths, they will never become a great country.
ReplyDeleteI had never before thought of Trump's campaign as heavily relying on nostalgia, but your points highlighted how and why this is actually the case. It is interesting that many people, especially those of older generations yearn for the past, even though there were clearly negative aspects to it. I think that nearly everyone has caught themselves feeling like this at some point during their lives. Suppressing negative memories and experiences and honing in on (and perhaps even glorifying) positive experiences is a very human thing. I think that especially today, many people have forgotten what true empathy feels like. When done right, empathy is exhausting. I totally agree with your point that our country's leaders must have compassion. It is also our duty as American citizens to have compassion for all individuals, regardless of their race, ethnicity, or gender.
ReplyDeleteVery effective argument and interesting topic! Good use of images and subtitles but I think a more blog-appropriate font and formatting would help, too. --MB
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