Concerns about diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts have become increasingly visible in recent years. Today, 39% of white adults believe DEI increases discrimination against white people. However, the roots of discomfort with racial and cultural change in America go back to colonial times. This presentation traces a consistent historical pattern of efforts to preserve a narrowly defined national identity, which stretches from early immigration fears to present-day debates.

Figures like Benjamin Franklin voiced concerns about immigrants, including Germans, whom he viewed as too "swarthy." This reluctance to fully welcome those seen as racially or culturally different is not new, and yet it remains underexplored. This presentation offers original research on how these attitudes have shaped, and continue to influence, American society.