logo
episode-header-image
Oct 2016
20m 6s

Episode 47: Give Me Your Tired...

Hidden Brain, Shankar Vedantam
About this episode

Our airwaves are filled with debates about migrants, refugees, and undocumented immigrants... Who should be in the United States, who shouldn't, and who should decide? Immigration is, without question, a flash point in this year's political debates. It's an issue that seems to get to the core of who we are, who we want to be, and where we're headed as a nation. Today we're going to take a fresh look at the issue by exploring what history can teach us about the patterns and paradoxes of immigration in a nation of immigrants. It's one of a series of shows in the next few weeks that will speak to issues that have bubbled to the surface in politics this year, that reveal something about us — and human nature. Historian Maria Cristina Garcia joins us.

Up next
Jul 7
You 2.0: The Passion Pill
You’ve probably heard the saying, “Do what you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life.” The idea is that pursuing your passion will feel invigorating — almost magical. But passions can easily wane over time. This week, behavioral scientist Jon Jachimowicz looks at how to ... Show More
49m 25s
Jun 30
You 2.0: What Is Your Life For?
What should you do with your life? There's no one-size-fits-all answer to that question. But there are scientifically-tested methods that can help you to feel more in harmony with yourself and the world. This week, and in a companion conversation for Hidden Brain+, researcher Vic ... Show More
1h 3m
Jun 23
Win Hearts, Then Minds + Your Questions Answered on Identity and "Covering"
There’s a saying that’s attributed to the Dalai Lama: in the practice of tolerance, one’s enemy is the best teacher. It’s a nice idea. But when people don’t share our values, it’s hard for us to tolerate theirs. This week, we bring you a favorite episode with sociologist Robb Wil ... Show More
1h 25m
Recommended Episodes
May 2023
How Immigration Shapes American Politics
Title 42 is expiring on Thursday night, a pandemic-era rule allowing the U.S. government to turn away asylum seekers at the border as a public health measure. This comes at a time when apprehensions at the border are already at record highs and Americans give President Biden some ... Show More
33m 10s
Nov 2019
Our immigration conversation is broken -- here’s how to have a better one | Paul A. Kramer
How did the US immigration debate get to be so divisive? In this informative talk, historian and writer Paul A. Kramer shows how an “insider vs. outsider” framing has come to dominate the way people in the US talk about immigration -- and suggests a set of new questions that coul ... Show More
16m 37s
May 2022
Checks and Balance: Rights to remain
President Biden came to office promising, like many before him, to fix America's immigration system. But border crossings are at record highs, his reforms have floundered and states are going their own way on how to treat undocumented residents. Meanwhile a third of voters believ ... Show More
44m 55s
Feb 2021
Fixing a Broken Immigration System
Decades of failed compromise and stalled deals in Washington have led to a broken immigration system with a tremendous human cost. With roughly 11 million undocumented immigrants currently in the US, and more in search of a better life, immigration is one of the biggest policy ch ... Show More
23m 50s
Jun 2024
Our immigration identity crisis
Americans hold contradictory views on immigration: They’re more supportive of it than ever before, while also calling it the nation’s most divisive political issue. A pollster, a policy researcher, and a pundit help make sense of our stalled immigration debate.This episode was pr ... Show More
26m 1s
Mar 2024
The Economics of Illegal Immigration
In this travel episode our intrepid hosts journeys to McAllen, TX on the US-border to see the river, the wall, and to interview employers who hire immigrants as well as US Border agents.   Guests: Former Border Patrol chief Clem Clemson, and Lee Wicker, Deputy Director for the No ... Show More
2h 1m
Sep 2017
The Politicians Just Don’t Care about Us: The Clamor to Pander to Illegal Alien Mafia Ep 144
What you are seeing this week with the clamor by both parties to pander to illegal aliens is the most profound violation of the most foundational tenet of the social compact.  The job of government officials is to protect the American people from open borders and the ill effects ... Show More
49m 7s
Nov 2014
#1 My French Mom Calls on Immigration! + Guests!
SUBSCRIBE ON ITUNES FOR FREE! This week, Obama gave his speech/plans on immigration. The short end: it’s a fast-track to get illegal immigrants their green card. You know who’s not happy about that? MY MOM! French-Canadian mamma Crowder calls in to tell us what it was like to imm ... Show More
2h 9m
Sep 2020
7. Xenophobia
How can America welcome refugees, embrace a humane approach to migration, and reclaim our identity as a nation of immigrants? With 80 million people displaced worldwide, this is a crisis even if it’s not always in the headlines.Host Ben Rhodes talks to Zarlasht Halaimzai - a refu ... Show More
45m 37s