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Alien Nation: Common Sense About America's Immigration Disaster
The controversial, bestselling book (37,500 hardcover copies sold) that helps define the debate about one of the most important and hotly contested issues facing immigration.
384 pages, Paperback
First published April 4, 1995
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
February 29, 2008
Brimelow will lose many readers with his acrimonious style and racially-tinged arguments, both of which are unfortunate. However, his central insights on how identity and culture shape nations and keep them intact are critical to understanding the delicate balance between stability and conflict.
September 5, 2010
Considering this book was written during the strident early days of political correctness, it is a surprisingly brave and honest work which pulls absolutely no punches whatsoever. It is also eerily prophetic, and could have been written last week. Brimelow discusses not only America's illegal immigration problem, but gives us some history as to how we got where we now are. While I agree with his points about the Left's motives in terms of illegal immigration, I do wish he'd put more of his focus on the motives of the corporate/commercial right as regards same. Regardless, still an effective work. And I probably don't have to tell you that if you're inclined toward political correctness, something in this book will doubtlessly offend you. Not to be confused with the science-fiction movie/TV show about the mottled-looking guys who get drunk on milk.
February 15, 2016
The best critique of US immigration policy since the disastrous 1965 Immigration Act. Brimelow is an interesting character, with a foot in both the paleoconservative and libertarian/free market camps, and has eyes towards achieving a broad coalition for patriotic immigration reform.
The author says that demography is destiny in American politics. I read this some time ago, but find myself dipping into it again as some of the predictions have proved chillingly accurate. A book more relevant now than ever.
The author says that demography is destiny in American politics. I read this some time ago, but find myself dipping into it again as some of the predictions have proved chillingly accurate. A book more relevant now than ever.
June 29, 2015
A racist piece of trash..
Many openly racist quips,this British thug author seems like a male version of sinister Ann Coulter!
Funny part is this a-hole himself is a British immigrant and seems to have a chip on his shoulder for being a legal immigrant..
The book has White Supremacist undertones in it,numerous references to that ONE study all the redneck Nazis seem to have studied - 1990s study called the Bell curve which claims darkies have lower IQ than Whites,the whole book rests on this claim..
A 3rd class racist book,
0 stars.
Many openly racist quips,this British thug author seems like a male version of sinister Ann Coulter!
Funny part is this a-hole himself is a British immigrant and seems to have a chip on his shoulder for being a legal immigrant..
The book has White Supremacist undertones in it,numerous references to that ONE study all the redneck Nazis seem to have studied - 1990s study called the Bell curve which claims darkies have lower IQ than Whites,the whole book rests on this claim..
A 3rd class racist book,
0 stars.
April 22, 2024
An excellent critique of the utterly broken American immigration system that, unfortunately, becomes increasingly relevant as time goes on.
May 9, 2020
This book is somewhat dated now, but that makes it somewhat interesting in that one can verify the predictions that were made back in 1995 about the further effects of the 1965 Ted Kennedy immigration law. Basic premise is that we've taken in far too many immigrants so far and need to take a break to digest. Also that the lowering of wage rates has had a negative effect on poorest Americans, especially African Americans. Which is still true. Anyway, it's written by a financial author. They seem to write pretty good non-fiction works. Concise and not too flowery.
December 29, 2022
“For Americans to even think about their immigration policy, given the political climate that has prevailed since the 1960’s, involves a sort of psychological liberation movement.”
This is a courageous and commonsensical treatise written by an immigrant himself concerning one of the most destabilizing yet taboo influences on American society - a level of immigration unprecedented in history. The damage already wrought to American society per 1965 immigration legislation is shuddering, yet even calmly introducing such a topic in conversation for most is not only distasteful, it’s outright dangerous (just have a peek at the one-star reviews here, none of which actually argue against the book but rather just condemn it as racist.)
The reality is simple - you cannot dramatically alter the ethnic composition of a society without major disruptions and consequences, eventually including permanent destabilization. And, again, the current pace and extent of the ethnic alteration of American society is historically unprecedented.
The most interesting part of this book is perhaps the counterarguments to the typical pro-immigration economic arguments (notably the example of Japan successfully using innovation rather than immigration to grow it’s national economy.) And, speaking of other countries, the most infuriating part of this book is the hypocrisy exercised by other governments (China, Japan, India, Mexico) all too willing to send massive influxes of immigrants to America while simultaneously snickering at the question of allowing even a fraction of the same numbers of immigrants into their countries. Here’s a brilliant question the author poses concerning the morality of immigration -
“If immigration is such a moral imperative, why don’t (insert hypocritical countries) allow it?”
As the author states - “The world is laughing at America.”
Dear Americans, the elites of your country are not your friends. Caring about the ethnic composition of your country is not racist, it’s rational and necessary. Your ancestors understood this… other countries understand this. I am an American and I love my country, but I don’t respect it… how could you with immigration policy such as it is?
One last thing, since at least one unfavorable review here mentioned it - yes, the author does reference the much maligned The Bell Curve in a FOOT NOTE where he explains that it is a natural extension of this work, but (wisely) that it is not even necessary to include for any purposes of persuasion (it isn’t).
This is a courageous and commonsensical treatise written by an immigrant himself concerning one of the most destabilizing yet taboo influences on American society - a level of immigration unprecedented in history. The damage already wrought to American society per 1965 immigration legislation is shuddering, yet even calmly introducing such a topic in conversation for most is not only distasteful, it’s outright dangerous (just have a peek at the one-star reviews here, none of which actually argue against the book but rather just condemn it as racist.)
The reality is simple - you cannot dramatically alter the ethnic composition of a society without major disruptions and consequences, eventually including permanent destabilization. And, again, the current pace and extent of the ethnic alteration of American society is historically unprecedented.
The most interesting part of this book is perhaps the counterarguments to the typical pro-immigration economic arguments (notably the example of Japan successfully using innovation rather than immigration to grow it’s national economy.) And, speaking of other countries, the most infuriating part of this book is the hypocrisy exercised by other governments (China, Japan, India, Mexico) all too willing to send massive influxes of immigrants to America while simultaneously snickering at the question of allowing even a fraction of the same numbers of immigrants into their countries. Here’s a brilliant question the author poses concerning the morality of immigration -
“If immigration is such a moral imperative, why don’t (insert hypocritical countries) allow it?”
As the author states - “The world is laughing at America.”
Dear Americans, the elites of your country are not your friends. Caring about the ethnic composition of your country is not racist, it’s rational and necessary. Your ancestors understood this… other countries understand this. I am an American and I love my country, but I don’t respect it… how could you with immigration policy such as it is?
One last thing, since at least one unfavorable review here mentioned it - yes, the author does reference the much maligned The Bell Curve in a FOOT NOTE where he explains that it is a natural extension of this work, but (wisely) that it is not even necessary to include for any purposes of persuasion (it isn’t).
August 14, 2017
Brimelow pulls no punches in attacking America's disastrous immigration policy - or non-policy - which for the past 52 years has consisted primarily of abdicating the field and allowing immigrants, both legal and illegal, to set their own rules. Brimelow touches upon all of the major impacts of uncontrolled immigration, including economic, social, cultural, and environmental.
The only major point of disagreement I have with Brimelow is his assertion that a country cannot maintain its culture unless its ethnic mix remains largely unchanged. My view is that the ethnicity of immigrants is not significant, so long as the nation maintains its ability to assimilate those immigrants and the pace of immigration is slow enough for that process to work, as it did in the past. This dispute is largely academic, as the current extremely high rate of immigration, the ease of traveling back and forth between countries, and left-wing cultural assaults on America have largely negated the assimilation process. It is, however, important to recognize the distinction.
I also would have liked to see Brimelow give greater emphasis to environmental concerns. All environmental issues ultimately flow back to the root cause of population growth, and, as no less an environmental icon than David Brower acknowledged in a conversation some years back, in America limiting population growth means limiting immigration.
The depressing thing about this book is that although it now is over 20 years old, very little has changed since it was written. As a result, it remains as timely as ever. The author's willingness to address the prickly issue of immigration in a forthright manner makes this book a valuable part of the literature on this subject.
The only major point of disagreement I have with Brimelow is his assertion that a country cannot maintain its culture unless its ethnic mix remains largely unchanged. My view is that the ethnicity of immigrants is not significant, so long as the nation maintains its ability to assimilate those immigrants and the pace of immigration is slow enough for that process to work, as it did in the past. This dispute is largely academic, as the current extremely high rate of immigration, the ease of traveling back and forth between countries, and left-wing cultural assaults on America have largely negated the assimilation process. It is, however, important to recognize the distinction.
I also would have liked to see Brimelow give greater emphasis to environmental concerns. All environmental issues ultimately flow back to the root cause of population growth, and, as no less an environmental icon than David Brower acknowledged in a conversation some years back, in America limiting population growth means limiting immigration.
The depressing thing about this book is that although it now is over 20 years old, very little has changed since it was written. As a result, it remains as timely as ever. The author's willingness to address the prickly issue of immigration in a forthright manner makes this book a valuable part of the literature on this subject.
August 11, 2024
All you need to know about this book is that it claims to be a well-researched book on immigration, but the notes are only 12 pages long. And some chapters only have 6 or 9 notes. I can't believe I read this entire fucking book for my own research.
May 20, 2024
A FAMOUS/INFAMOUS CRITIQUE OF CURRENT IMMIGRATION POLICIES
British-born Peter Brimelow (and founder of VDARE, an anti-immigration website) wrote in the Preface to this 1995 book, “As an immigrant… [who] is now an American citizen, I find myself asking with fascination: what can this possibly mean? American immigration policy has always been democratic… in the sense that it has been made through democratic procedures. Right now… it’s unusually UNDEMOCRATIC, in the sense that Americans have told pollsters long and loudly that they don’t want any more immigration, but the politicians ignore them.,, Democracy becomes self-liquidating… Personally, I doubt it will prove possible to run the United States or any other society, on this principle. ‘Immigrants built America!; Americans are incessantly told… I don’t agree. In this book, I discuss the surprising evidence that immigration is, and probably always has been, much less important to American economic growth than is conventionally assumed…
“But note that I am not saying that immigration … is always without value---just that it is at most a luxury, rather than a necessity. For example, I am arguably displacing an American-born worker as a senior editor at Forbes magazine. I naturally like to think that my employers would miss my unique contribution. However, I am fairly sure that they would survive. As a financial journalist, I am professionally inclined to find the economic argument about immigration compelling… but really [people] are motivated by a wide range of ethnic, moral and even psychological agenda…
“In discussing the many aspects of immigration policy, I inevitably touch on some issues of race and ethnicity that in American debate nowadays are usually taboo… I’m sorry that some readers may find part of this book distressing… The job, however, must be done. Race and ethnicity are destiny in American politics. The racial and ethnic balance of America is being radically altered through public policy… Is it what Americans want?... The point is this: America’s immigration system is broke and needs fixing. The only issue is: how much? … The mass immigration so thoughtlessly triggered in 1965 risks making America an ALIEN NATION…”
He asks, “Regardless of whether the immigrant wedge being driven into the United States will be a boost or a burden---will it be AMERICAN?... For the first time, virtually all immigrants are racially distinct ‘visible minorities’… these new immigrants are from completely different, and arguably incompatible, cultural traditions… they are coming in such numbers that their impact on America is enormous---inevitably within the foreseeable future, they will transform it.” (Pg. 56)
He observes, “blacks’ loss of majority-minority status will be critical… But now, suddenly, there are new minorities, each with their own grievances and attitudes---quite possibly including a lack of guilt about and even hostility toward blacks.” (Pg. 65)
He quotes Ben J. Wattenberg, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research, who suggested that immigration policy “On top of skills and education… We would do well to add English-language proficiency.’ Wow! That could make a big difference… a remarkable 47 percent of the U.S. foreign-born population do not speak English ‘very well’ or ‘at all.’ So emphasizing English proficiency would inevitably cut down immigration a lot. Particularly of Hispanics. Some 71 percent of foreign-born Mexicans report not speaking English ‘very well.’ … an English-language requirement would probably increase immigration from the developed countries of Europe (and possibly from former British colonies in Asia and Africa).” (Pg. 88-89)
He says, “an implicit accusation of racism is the common reaction of a vocal minority of Americans to news of their country’s shifting ethnic balance… I say a vocal minority because I think that vast majority of Americans regard as just a matter of common sense that the composition of a country’s population cannot, in fact, be changed without risking dramatic consequences.” (Pg. 116-117) He adds, “WHY does America have to be transformed? What have you got against it?” (Pg. 119)
He notes, “Time’s April 9, 1990, cover story on what it called ‘The Browning of America’ uncomfortably acknowledge that there is no precedent for a successful multiracial society. But it quickly supplied an ingenious, if ludicrously flimsy, excuse for complacency… The point…: all the multiple races must really want to be American, and this will hold society together. (What about illegal immigrants---will they retain their contempt for U.S. law? Time didn’t say.)… Conclusion: the current U.S. situation really is unprecedented…” (Pg. 132-133)
He argues, “the small amount by which immigrants drive down the wages for all American workers, nationwide, adds up to a sizeable sum—which goes to American owners of capital… this is the ugly implication: the American elite’s support for immigration may not be idealistic at all, but self-interested---as a way to prey on their fellow Americans… And this certainly is an interesting result. Is it because economists are part of the elite benefiting at the expense of their fellow Americans? Say it ain’t so!” (Pg. 161)
He states, “the emergence of a strange anti-nation inside the United States---the so-called ‘Hispanics.’ … it is a classification that makes no sense. It’s not racial---most Hispanics are mestizos (white-Amerindian mixtures) but there are significant numbers of whites and also of blacks. It’s not cultural… it’s not even linguistic---many ‘Hispanics’ speak only English and, indeed, some are Indian-language speakers from Latin America. Arguably against their wishes, ‘Hispanics’ are being treated by U.S. government agencies as a homogeneous ‘protected class’ essentially as a result of ethnic lobbying in Washington. They have been supplied with ‘leaders’ financed in large part by the Ford Foundation. They are now much less encouraged to ‘Americanize’ than anything seen in the previous Great Wave. Instead, they are being issued with a new, artificial ‘Hispanic’ identity.” (Pg. 218)
He summarizes, “Current policy should be reversed: skilled immigration must be favored before family reunification. To put it another way, the United States could do without that portion of the current influx that is below the average American’s educational achievement. The immigrant influx could be further reharmonized with U.S. labor-market conditions by requiring more potential immigrants to have offers of employment. Since an immigrant’s country of origin turns out to be an excellent predictor of likely success or failure in the United States, the admissions policy might take account of this reality… in 1987 the British frankly banned a whole list of specified ‘troublesome’ nationalities from approaching immigration officials while in transit---include Somalis, Iranians, and Libyans… No immigration should be permitted from countries that do not allow reciprocal emigration from the United States.” (Pg. 261)
This book was a bestseller, and will certainly appeal to anti-immigration advocates. But the rest of us will see his book as unduly alarmist, and even as promoting ‘hate’ (note that the Southern Poverty Law Center classifies the VDARE website thusly).
British-born Peter Brimelow (and founder of VDARE, an anti-immigration website) wrote in the Preface to this 1995 book, “As an immigrant… [who] is now an American citizen, I find myself asking with fascination: what can this possibly mean? American immigration policy has always been democratic… in the sense that it has been made through democratic procedures. Right now… it’s unusually UNDEMOCRATIC, in the sense that Americans have told pollsters long and loudly that they don’t want any more immigration, but the politicians ignore them.,, Democracy becomes self-liquidating… Personally, I doubt it will prove possible to run the United States or any other society, on this principle. ‘Immigrants built America!; Americans are incessantly told… I don’t agree. In this book, I discuss the surprising evidence that immigration is, and probably always has been, much less important to American economic growth than is conventionally assumed…
“But note that I am not saying that immigration … is always without value---just that it is at most a luxury, rather than a necessity. For example, I am arguably displacing an American-born worker as a senior editor at Forbes magazine. I naturally like to think that my employers would miss my unique contribution. However, I am fairly sure that they would survive. As a financial journalist, I am professionally inclined to find the economic argument about immigration compelling… but really [people] are motivated by a wide range of ethnic, moral and even psychological agenda…
“In discussing the many aspects of immigration policy, I inevitably touch on some issues of race and ethnicity that in American debate nowadays are usually taboo… I’m sorry that some readers may find part of this book distressing… The job, however, must be done. Race and ethnicity are destiny in American politics. The racial and ethnic balance of America is being radically altered through public policy… Is it what Americans want?... The point is this: America’s immigration system is broke and needs fixing. The only issue is: how much? … The mass immigration so thoughtlessly triggered in 1965 risks making America an ALIEN NATION…”
He asks, “Regardless of whether the immigrant wedge being driven into the United States will be a boost or a burden---will it be AMERICAN?... For the first time, virtually all immigrants are racially distinct ‘visible minorities’… these new immigrants are from completely different, and arguably incompatible, cultural traditions… they are coming in such numbers that their impact on America is enormous---inevitably within the foreseeable future, they will transform it.” (Pg. 56)
He observes, “blacks’ loss of majority-minority status will be critical… But now, suddenly, there are new minorities, each with their own grievances and attitudes---quite possibly including a lack of guilt about and even hostility toward blacks.” (Pg. 65)
He quotes Ben J. Wattenberg, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research, who suggested that immigration policy “On top of skills and education… We would do well to add English-language proficiency.’ Wow! That could make a big difference… a remarkable 47 percent of the U.S. foreign-born population do not speak English ‘very well’ or ‘at all.’ So emphasizing English proficiency would inevitably cut down immigration a lot. Particularly of Hispanics. Some 71 percent of foreign-born Mexicans report not speaking English ‘very well.’ … an English-language requirement would probably increase immigration from the developed countries of Europe (and possibly from former British colonies in Asia and Africa).” (Pg. 88-89)
He says, “an implicit accusation of racism is the common reaction of a vocal minority of Americans to news of their country’s shifting ethnic balance… I say a vocal minority because I think that vast majority of Americans regard as just a matter of common sense that the composition of a country’s population cannot, in fact, be changed without risking dramatic consequences.” (Pg. 116-117) He adds, “WHY does America have to be transformed? What have you got against it?” (Pg. 119)
He notes, “Time’s April 9, 1990, cover story on what it called ‘The Browning of America’ uncomfortably acknowledge that there is no precedent for a successful multiracial society. But it quickly supplied an ingenious, if ludicrously flimsy, excuse for complacency… The point…: all the multiple races must really want to be American, and this will hold society together. (What about illegal immigrants---will they retain their contempt for U.S. law? Time didn’t say.)… Conclusion: the current U.S. situation really is unprecedented…” (Pg. 132-133)
He argues, “the small amount by which immigrants drive down the wages for all American workers, nationwide, adds up to a sizeable sum—which goes to American owners of capital… this is the ugly implication: the American elite’s support for immigration may not be idealistic at all, but self-interested---as a way to prey on their fellow Americans… And this certainly is an interesting result. Is it because economists are part of the elite benefiting at the expense of their fellow Americans? Say it ain’t so!” (Pg. 161)
He states, “the emergence of a strange anti-nation inside the United States---the so-called ‘Hispanics.’ … it is a classification that makes no sense. It’s not racial---most Hispanics are mestizos (white-Amerindian mixtures) but there are significant numbers of whites and also of blacks. It’s not cultural… it’s not even linguistic---many ‘Hispanics’ speak only English and, indeed, some are Indian-language speakers from Latin America. Arguably against their wishes, ‘Hispanics’ are being treated by U.S. government agencies as a homogeneous ‘protected class’ essentially as a result of ethnic lobbying in Washington. They have been supplied with ‘leaders’ financed in large part by the Ford Foundation. They are now much less encouraged to ‘Americanize’ than anything seen in the previous Great Wave. Instead, they are being issued with a new, artificial ‘Hispanic’ identity.” (Pg. 218)
He summarizes, “Current policy should be reversed: skilled immigration must be favored before family reunification. To put it another way, the United States could do without that portion of the current influx that is below the average American’s educational achievement. The immigrant influx could be further reharmonized with U.S. labor-market conditions by requiring more potential immigrants to have offers of employment. Since an immigrant’s country of origin turns out to be an excellent predictor of likely success or failure in the United States, the admissions policy might take account of this reality… in 1987 the British frankly banned a whole list of specified ‘troublesome’ nationalities from approaching immigration officials while in transit---include Somalis, Iranians, and Libyans… No immigration should be permitted from countries that do not allow reciprocal emigration from the United States.” (Pg. 261)
This book was a bestseller, and will certainly appeal to anti-immigration advocates. But the rest of us will see his book as unduly alarmist, and even as promoting ‘hate’ (note that the Southern Poverty Law Center classifies the VDARE website thusly).
January 2, 2020
I first bought this book in the late 90's after watching Peter Brimelow interviewed on C-Span. I read it, underlined passages, found it very informative. Learned a lot. Recently, I looked through my old copy and was surprised at how much of what I agreed with, today is viewed harshly. Have to go back and reread to see how much my opinions on the subject of immigration have evolved and which have stayed the same. But it's definitely not a book for the thin-skinned.
June 29, 2020
Incredible insightful book full of Brimelow's signature acidic wit. Alien Nation at first glance might feel dated in context, but everything from the obsessively detailed statistics to his almost prophetic look at the way America has changed and would continue to change in the twenty-five years since it was first published is utterly staggering.
Want to read
October 15, 2023I could not get into this book and decided to shelf it. I might read it in the future.
May 19, 2024
Just okay, but some very interesting statistics.
November 3, 2024
Any Patriot should read this book
April 1, 2010
Immigrant himself but now wants to preserve america for his blond, blue-eyed progeny.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews