Webster University Impact of Far Right Group Proposal Review

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Abstract
The Impact of Far-Right Groups on the Lives of Latinas/os
In Gwinnett County Georgia
by
Collins Uhuangho
MBA, Webster University St. Louis, 2003
BSc, University of Benin, Nigeria, 1999

Proposal Submitted in Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree of
Doctor of Philosophy
Public Policy & Administration

Walden University
June 2021

i

Abstract
Far-right groups and organizations are now quite active in the United States (U.S.). The
main ideologies held by many far-right groups are nativism, ultra-nationalism, and
authoritarianism. Extreme-right hate groups vehemently oppose immigration and racially
discriminate against minorities and immigrants whom they consider not to be members of
established natives. The research problem that this study seeks to address is the effects of
far-right groups on the lives of Latinas/os. The research problem is important as hateful
far-right hate groups spread hateful propaganda, assault, insult, and racially discriminate
against minorities and immigrants, and that likely negatively impacts the lives of the
victimized individuals. The purpose of the study is to explore the negative impacts of farright groups in Gwinnett County, Georgia, on the lives of the Latina/o population living
in the County. The main research question is: to what extent are Latinas/os living in
Gwinnett County, Georgia, affected by the presence, racism-and-violence-related
propaganda, insult, assault, and racial discrimination by extremist far-right groups? The
theoretical framework for the research will be the Latina/o Critical Race Theory
(LatCrit). The proposed general qualitative study will consist of interviewing 20 Latina/o
participants of all genders aged 18 years and older from Gwinnett County, Georgia. The
interviews will be conducted in-person or over the telephone. Document review will also
be employed to collect relevant data from documented cases. Thematic analysis via
NVivo software will be used to analyze the collected data and help discern crucial themes
and patterns in collected data and to answer the research questions. The study will

ii

contribute to positive social change by providing knowledge that can be used to improve
existing local and state governments’ policies for protecting minorities and immigrants.

iii

Impact of Far-Right Groups on the Lives of Latinas/os
in Gwinnett County Georgia
by
Collins Uhuangho
MBA, Webster University St. Louis, 2003
BSc, University of Benin, Nigeria, 1999

Proposal Submitted in Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree of
Doctor of Philosophy
Public Policy & Administration

Walden University
June 2021

iv

Dedication
This proposal is dedicated in loving memory of my father who was a true educationist.

v

Acknowledgments
My committee chair has shown remarkable support and provided needed
guidance, the team has also been very helpful throughout this process, I remain eternally
grateful.

vi

Table of Contents
List of Figures ......................................................................................................................x
Chapter 1: Introduction to the Study....................................................................................1
Background of the Problem ...........................................................................................2
Statement of the Problem ...............................................................................................5
Purpose of the Study ......................................................................................................6
Research Questions ........................................................................................................6
Theoretical Framework ..................................................................................................7
Nature of the Study ........................................................................................................8
Definition of Terms........................................................................................................9
Assumptions.................................................................................................................10
Scope and Delimitation ................................................................................................11
Limitations ...................................................................................................................12
Significance..................................................................................................................13
Summary and Transition ..............................................................................................14
Chapter 2: Literature Review .............................................................................................16
Literature Search Strategy............................................................................................16
Theoretical Framework ................................................................................................17
The Critical Race Theory ...................................................................................... 17
The Latina/o Critical Race Theory ....................................................................... 20
Nativism Studies Founded on the LatCrit Theory ................................................ 23
Application to the Study ....................................................................................... 24
vii

History of Nativism in the U.S. ...................................................................................24
Nativism and Immigration ...........................................................................................25
Asian Immigration and Nativism .......................................................................... 27
Latinas/os Immigration and Nativism ................................................................... 28
Present Situation Regarding Latinas/os in the US and Nativism .......................... 31
Factors that Influence the Emergence of Nativism ......................................................32
Racism33
Economic Concerns .............................................................................................. 33
Cultural Concerns ................................................................................................. 34
Politics................................................................................................................... 35
Far-right Groups...........................................................................................................35
Ultranationalism .................................................................................................... 37
Nativism ................................................................................................................ 37
Authoritarianism ................................................................................................... 38
How today’s Far-right Groups are Recruiting Followers ..................................... 38
Effects of the Far-right Groups ............................................................................. 41
Far-Right Groups and Nativism ...................................................................................45
Victimization of Minorities and Immigrants ...............................................................47
The Targeting of Latinas/os .........................................................................................48
Counteracting Far-Right Groups..................................................................................50
The Law and Law Enforcement ............................................................................ 50
Political and Media Action ................................................................................... 52
viii

Social Action ......................................................................................................... 53
Gaps in Literature ........................................................................................................53
Summary and Conclusion ............................................................................................54
Chapter 3: Research Method ..............................................................................................57
Qualitative Research Design and Approach ................................................................57
The Role of the Researcher ..........................................................................................58
Methodology ................................................................................................................59
Participant Selection Logic ................................................................................... 60
Sampling ............................................................................................................... 61
Instrumentation ..................................................................................................... 62
Procedures for Recruitment, Participation, and Data Collection .......................... 63
Data Analysis Plan ................................................................................................ 64
Issues of Trustworthiness .............................................................................................64
Credibility ............................................................................................................. 65
Transferability ....................................................................................................... 65
Dependability ........................................................................................................ 66
Conformability ...................................................................................................... 66
Ethical Considerations .......................................................................................... 67
Summary ......................................................................................................................68
References ..........................................................................................................................69
Appendix A: Interview Questions .....................................................................................79
Appendix B: Informed Consent Form ...............................................................................80
ix

List of Figures

x

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Chapter 1: Introduction to the Study
The United States is a richly diverse nation with a citizenry that consists of people
from different races, nationalities, ethnicities, cultures, and religions. The State
Department’s Diversity Visa (DV) gives 55,000 people from different countries outside
the U.S. the opportunity to immigrate to the U.S. annually (Hooper & Batalova, 2015).
These and other initiatives have led to a significant improvement in the nation's diversity.
Despite the rich diversity that has been promoted in the nation, minorities and immigrants
face opposition and discrimination from some quarters. Many far-right or extreme-right
groups are deeply opposed to minorities and immigration (Adamczyk et al., 2014). The
groups are in the extreme right of the left-right political spectrum, and many support
nativism, extreme nationalism, and authoritarianism (Chermak, Freilich, & Suttmoeller,
2013). Examples of groups listed under the far-right label are the Alt-right, Fascists, neoFascists, Nazis, and neo-Nazis (Chermak et al., 2013). Such extreme right groups have
been observed to be rising in the U.S. (Adamczyk et al., 2014).
The observed rise of far-right groups has been raising concerns in the country
because many such groups have been involved in violence, racial discrimination, and
opposition to immigrants (Chermak et al., 2013). The extreme right groups pose a danger
to the lives and well-being of minorities and immigrants. Parkin, Freilich, and Chermak
(2015) investigated 141 homicides perpetrated by far-right groups and members of such
groups and categorized the murders according to the ideologies that motivated the same.
The ideologies that motivated the homicides were anti-racial minority, anti-social
minority, anti-abortion, and anti-government (Parkin et al., 2015). Other acts of crime

2
committed by far-right groups include property destruction, assault, and orchestrated acts
of terrorism (Sweeney & Perliger, 2018). This study focuses on the effects that the farright groups have had on the lives of minorities and immigrants in Gwinnett County,
Georgia. The nativist ideology and extreme nationalism held by extreme-right groups
pitch them against minorities and immigrants in the country. The groups and their
members have engaged in discrimination, assault, and murder of minorities in the
country. Such attacks negatively affect the lives of minorities and immigrants.
Background of the Problem
Far-right organizations are now quite active in the US and Europe (Sweeney &
Perliger, 2018). The immigration crisis facing Europe has helped garner the support for
such organizations in Europe (Halla, Wagner, & Zweimüller, 2017). The groups
exaggerate the issue of immigration and at times, demonize immigrants. Extreme farright groups, members of the groups, and supporters of such groups have been reported to
engage in criminal and violent behavior. The property crimes and violent crimes datasets
maintained by the Combating Terrorism Center revealed that crimes perpetrated by
extreme far-right organizations and their members in the US include murder, property
destruction, assault, and orchestrated acts of terrorism (Sweeney & Perliger, 2018).
The murder of Richard Collins III by Christopher Urbanski in 2017 at the
University of Maryland is an example of murder perpetrated by a member of an extremeright group for ideological reasons (Sweeney & Perliger, 2018). Crimes committed by
lone wolfs who are affiliated to such groups are also on the rise in the US (Gruenewald,
Chermak, & Freilich, 2013). Some far-right groups and individuals are willing to commit

3
the ideologically motivated crime (Parkin et al., 2015). A recent crime in Georgia that is
currently being treated as a racially-motivated hate crime was the killing of a 25 years old
black man, Ahmaud Arbery, on February 23, 2020 (Bynum, 2020). Arbery is reported to
have been jogging when he was chased down and shot by two white men (Bynum, 2020).
The two white men claimed that they thought that they thought that Arbery was a burglar
but mobile phone footage of the incident strongly suggest that the case is likely to be a
racially motivated hate crime (Bynum, 2020). Following Arbery’s Killing, the State of
Georgia passed a hate crime bill to deter hate crimes (Barajas, Dianne, & Henry, 2020).
The passage of the bill demonstrate that the State acknowledge the problem of hate crime
and is committed to addressing the same.
Groups such as the Nazis and Alt-right are openly anti-immigration and proracism. Groups such as the Alt-right argue that the U.S. belongs to white people and that
racial minorities e.g. Blacks and Latinas/os are not welcomed. Given that extremist farright organization commit ideologically driven violence, it is a cause of concern for the
safety of racial minorities and immigrants in different parts of the country. There is a
need to enhance anti-racism and other related policies to ensure that extremist far-right
groups do not harm racial minorities in the countries and other targets of the groups. The
enhancement would help improve minorities' and immigrants’ quality of life.
The threat of white-supremacy-related attacks has been recently rising in the U.S.
The rising threat level has caught the attention of law-makers and security agencies in the
country. In September 2019, the Homeland Security Department released a strategy
document to guide response to, among other things, white-supremacy-related threats

4
(Kanno-Youngs, 2019). Prior to the release of the document, Homeland did not focus a
lot on the white supremacy threat (Kanno-Youngs, 2019). On February, 2020, the FBI
Director declared that the threat of far-right domestic violence is now a national threat
priority (Woodward, 2020). The FBI has also raised the neo-Nazi threat level to ISIS
level (Woodward, 2020). The targeting of Latino shoppers in a shooting in El Paso,
Texas also prompted the U.S. Congress to debate new laws to help combat white
supremacy and domestic terrorism (MacFarquhar, 2020). Following numerous whitesupremacist-related threats, New Jersey recently declared white supremacists a major
threat to security in the state (Orso, 2020). The recent response by law-makers and
security agencies provide evidence to the claim that white supremacist groups, many of
which are extremist far-right groups are a significant threat to minorities, immigrants, and
the security of the country.
Extensive research has been conducted to understand far-right groups, their
ideologies, causes of their rise, and the crimes committed by violent far-right hate groups
(Chermak et al., 2013). Numerous studies also confirm that far-right hate groups are
against racial minorities and immigrants from some nationalities, races, and ethnicities
(Adamczyk, et al., 2014; Atkinson, 2018; Bracco et al., 2018; Chermak et al., 2013).
Crimes committed by far-right hate groups against minorities and immigrants have also
been well-documented (Chermak, Freilich, & Simone Jr, 2010; Freilich et al., 2014).
However, there is little research on the effects that activities of far-right hate groups such
as racial discrimination, insult, and assault have on the lives of minorities and
immigrants. Discrimination, insult, and assault have the potential to significantly

5
deteriorate a person’s quality of life and cause mental illnesses. Such effects would cause
unnecessary suffering on a population. This study will seek to fill the gap in knowledge
through investigating the effects that far-right hate group’s racial discrimination, insult,
and assault have had on the lives of the Latina/o population.
Statement of the Problem
Far-right groups such as Fascists, Nazis, Alt-right, neo-Nazis, and neo-Fascists
have promoted racism and radical anti-immigration policies (Chermak et al., 2013).
Many radical far-right groups and members of such organizations have insulted,
assaulted, racially discriminated racial minorities and/or immigrants, and/or distributed
racist propaganda (Parkin et al., 2015). The problem that this study will investigate is the
impact of far-right groups’ and followers’ presence, racism-and violence-related
propaganda, insults, assaults, and/or racial discrimination on the lives of Latinas/os living
in Gwinnett County in Georgia. Parkin et al. (2015) analyzed 141 cases of homicide
perpetrated by far-right groups and individuals between 1990 and 2007 and reported that
8 % of the victims targeted for anti-racial minority reasons were of Hispanic descent. The
results of Parkin et al.’s analysis proves that Latinas/os are one of the racial minorities in
the U.S. victimized by extreme far-right groups because of their race. According to the
Federal Bureau of Investigation (2018), in 2018, 35 hate crime incidents were reported in
Georgia. Of the 35 reported incidents, 28 were related to the victims’
race/ethnicity/ancestry (The Federal Bureau of Investigation, 2018). The Gwinnett
County Police Department registered 3 hate crimes related to race/ethnicity/ancestry in

6
2018 (The Federal Bureau of Investigation, 2018). The study will help further investigate
such crimes and their impact on Latinas/os.
Purpose of the Study
The purpose of the qualitative study is to explore the negative impacts of the
activities of far-right groups in Gwinnett County, Georgia, on the lives of the Latina/o
population living in the county. It is crucial to investigate whether radical right-wing
groups who support white supremacist views, nativism, and extreme nationalism are
present, spreading violence-and-racism-related propaganda, insulting, assaulting, and/or
racially discriminating against people of Latina/o descent living in the County so that
future measures can be taken to prevent or mitigate such activities. For example, this
study may provide valuable insight into how best to develop policies to reduce or
eliminate violence-and-racism-related propaganda, fear resulting from presence of hateful
far-right groups and/or individuals, and potential violence that can be instigated or
perpetrated by radical and violent far-right groups. This critical research will also help
evaluate the effectiveness of the existing state and local government policies regarding
the protection of racial minorities and dealing with radical and extreme far-right groups.
The knowledge gleaned from this study will -inform the approaches that law enforcement
agencies should consider to protect Latinas/os from being victimized by radical rightwing groups.
Research Questions
The following question will guide the research: To what extent are Latinas/os
living in Gwinnett County, Georgia, impacted by presence of hateful far-right groups,

7
racism-and violence-related propaganda, perceived insult, assault, and/or racial
discrimination by extremist far-right groups?
Theoretical Framework
The theoretical framework selected to underpin this study is the Latina/o Critical
Race Theory (LatCrit), which grew from the Critical Race Theory (CRT) (Pérez Huber,
2010). One proposition of the CRT is that racial power and white supremacy get
maintained as time passes on and that the law can help in the process of the maintenance
(Harris et al., 2012). The second proposition is that it is possible to change the link
between the law and racial power and, in the process, achieve racial emancipation (Harris
et al., 2012). The LatCrit theory builds from CRT’s propositions. The central focus of the
LatCrit is to support the advocacy for social justice for disadvantaged people of color,
especially Latinas/os. The LatCrit theoretical framework has been used to study how
Latinas/os experience race, gender, sexuality, and class while also taking into
consideration their experiences regarding immigration, culture, language, and ethnicity
(Pérez Huber, 2010). The theory helps researchers to effectively represent Latinas/os
experiences (Pérez Huber, 2010).
The LatCrit is in line with the proposed study because the theoretical framework
was mainly developed to help better articulate the issues that face the many Latinas/os
related groups in the US, especially racism. The theory was also developed to help
articulate the interests of Latinas/os. The framework has been used as a theoretical
foundation for several studies. One such study was conducted by Huber et al. (2008) to
better understand the modern experiences of the people of color and Latinas/os in

8
particular regarding racial nativism. Another study was conducted by was conducted by
Scheuths (2014) to researcher the experiences that couples Latinas/os in interracial
relationships had regarding racial nativism.
The theoretical framework will help analyze data on the experiences that
Latinas/os in Gwinnett County, Georgia, regarding the presence, propaganda, insult,
assault, and racial discrimination by hateful far-right groups. The theory will also aid the
study examine the role that race, immigration, and ethnicity play in the victimization of
Latinas/os by hateful far-right groups. Lastly, the theory will help the researcher to
keenly examine the unique ways in which hateful far-right groups oppress Latinas/os and
therefore, clearly communicate their experiences. The data collected from the study will
also help test the claims of the LatCrit theory.
Nature of the Study
The qualitative research method will be used to conduct the study. The data
needed to answer the research question is experiential, and the qualitative research
approach will be best suited to access the needed data (Kahlke, 2014). The selected
research design for the proposed study is the basic qualitative research design or generic
qualitative design. The design is best suited for studies aimed at the exploration and
description of phenomenon and such is the focus of the proposed study (Kahlke, 2014).
The study population is the Latinas/os living in Gwinnett County, Georgia. The inclusion
criteria are being a Latina/o, living in Gwinnett County, Georgia, aged 18 and above, and
having encountered hateful far-right groups or members of the same and/or their
propaganda. The selected sampling method for the study is purposive sampling.

9
Latinas/os who have encountered having encountered far-right groups or members and/or
the propaganda of the same will be purposively sampled for the study. A sample of 20
participants aged 18 and above, consisting of all genders will be interviewed. The
instrument that will be used to collect participants’ experiences is interviewing. The
document review method of data collection will also be utilized to gain more data on the
research phenomenon. Targeted documents will include crime data and hate crime
incident reports in Gwinnett County. The data analysis method that will be used to
analyze the collected qualitative data is the thematic analysis approach. Interview data
will be coded and common themes and patterns arising from the data evaluated and
reported. The analysis of the qualitative data will be done using NVivo software. The
software is quite helpful in analyzing large amounts of qualitative data as it helps code
data and analyze the coded data (Hilal, & Alabri, 2013).
Definition of Terms
The key terms that will be used throughout the study are:
Latinas/os: the term Latinas/os is used in this study to refer to people who have a
Latin American Origin or Descent (Odem & Lacy, 2009).
Far-right: The term far-right is used to refer to politics that are on the extreme
right of the left-right political spectrum and are characterized by the embrace of
ultranationalism, nativism, and authoritarianism (Rydgren, 2018).
Extreme right-wing: The term extreme-right is used in the study as a synonym for
far-right (Rydgren, 2018).

10
Racism: The term racism in the study refers to discrimination, hostility, or
prejudice towards an individual or group on the basis that the individual or group is from
a different race (Schueths, 2014).
Nativism: refers to the promotion of the interests of native-born people and/or
those considered to be native to a race or ethnicity at the expense of non-natives (Young,
2017).
Ultranationalism: The word ultranationalism is used in the study to refer to an
extreme form of nationalism (Piccolino, 2014).
Authoritarianism: The term authoritarianism means the support for strict
obedience to the authority at the expense of individual freedom (Rydgren, 2018).
Critical Race Theory (CRT): The CRT is a theoretical framework that was
developed to aid critical researchers evaluate traces of racism and race in different modes
of expression within the culture (Delgado & Stefancic, 2017).
Latina/o Critical Race Theory (LatCrit): The LatCrit is also a theoretical
framework that was derived from the CRT that aids critical researchers investigate and
articulate the interests and issues of race and racism that face minorities in the US,
especially Latinas/os related groups (Pérez Huber, 2010).
Assumptions
The study is based on the assumption that the selected participants will answer the
posed interview questions in an honest and truthful manner. One goal of the study is to
access data regarding how participants felt after encountering far-right groups or the
group’s propaganda and how the feelings that arose from the encounter have affected

11
their quality of life. Such feelings and judgments regarding the same are internal to an
individual and subjective, thus, there is no way that the researcher will verify whether the
provided data regarding the same is provided honestly and is true. Another assumption is
that selected participants have no ulterior motives in participating in the study.
Participants with ulterior motives can distort their responses to skew the results of the
study in one or another direction. During the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests, it was
reported that some far-right separatist groups were fermenting violence and property
destruction (Kelly & Samuels, 2020). Such high profile events could influence
participant’s response. To mitigate such influence from outside the county from affecting
the proposed study, the study will endeavor to ensure that participants provide
experiences they have had within Gwinnett County, Georgia.
Scope and Delimitation
One specific aspect of the research problem that is addressed in the proposed
study is the encounter that Latinas/os living in Gwinnett County, Georgia have had with
radical far-right groups. The encounters that are of interest to the study are those that
involve the presence of such groups, racism-and-violence related propaganda, insult,
assault, and racial discrimination by the extremist right-wing groups. The encounters will
help inform the second most important aspect of the study, which is, the exploration of
the effects that such encounters have on the lives of the Latinas/os. The study is thus,
largely interested in investigating the effect...


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