Race and immigration in the new domestic policy configuration of the USA during the initial years of Barack Obama's administration

Abstract

The present article analyzes the initial years of Barack Obama’s administration based on two issues (namely, Immigration and the race issue), which are clearly intertwined, bearing a profound relevance with the loss of popularity of the president. This paper based once again on the two above-mentioned issues, outlines a parallel line between Barack Obama’s relation with the minority groups and the current growing response given by the opposition which has been obstructing the major policy measures of the president. Thus, we can observe two outstanding moments of analysis on the government, the first of which has to do with the ever-increasing burden placed on Obama as the first black president of the USA, and a second moment that is related to his recent efforts to pass an immigration reform and to hinder the approval of the immigration reform in Arizona. On the other hand, the growth of the opposition against Obama reflects aged-long sentiments deeply rooted within the American society, such as: the rejection of a centralized state, the opposition against tax increase as well as against the favor given to minorities in the struggle for a position in the job market of the USA, sentiments found to have been worsened by the financial crisis that has affected the country. The relevance of the debate raised shows how some movements, which in our era seem to be anachronistic, have been able to reemerge with such a massive force that places them at the center of political debate in the country today.