ABSTRACT
Sitting high in the Rocky Mountains in Aspen, Colorado, is a Mecca for skiers, hikers, nature enthusiasts, environmentalists, European concert music lovers, and economic, political, and cultural elites from around the world. In 2000, we entered this exclusive vacation spot to investigate the recent passage of an anti-immigration resolution by the city council. On December 13, 1999, the City Council of Aspen unanimously passed a resolution petitioning the U.S. Congress and the president to create greater restrictions against both documented and undocumented immigration. The resolution called on the federal government to strengthen the U.S.–Mexico border and implement stronger legal barriers to immigration in order to preserve the economic, cultural, and ecological integrity of the nation and this exclusive city. Of particular interest to us was the strategic and pronounced role of environmentalism in arguing for greater restrictions against particular unwanted populations. This chapter focuses on the faulty logic of nativism, as expressed through anti-immigrant sentiment and policies.
