MAGA functioned as a racial plea tied to whiteness as legal citizenship touchstone

Evidence

Echoing through it all is the dread of an “end of white America,” a fear that politicians on the right readily stoked and fervently fed to the masses. Much of this opposing front is fully wed to racism and xenophobia, and it backed a businessman who peddled a promise to “Make American Great Again”—a promise that was not just a campaign slogan, but was also a racial plea evoked at a time when whiteness was the formal touchstone of American citizenship and white supremacy was endorsed and enabled by law. — Khaled A. Beydoun, American Islamophobia_ Understanding…, 63

Categorization

• XREF: Echoes the naturalization/‘race’ cases the reader is tracking as possible origin moment of the Islamophobia apparatus. — connects to: Citizenship in America has historically been tied to whiteness and Christianity; Whiteness was the legal prerequisite for US citizenship from 1790 to 1952 — Khaled A. Beydoun, American Islamophobia_ Understanding…, 178; Whiteness by law was defined as Christian, excluding Muslims from citizenship — Khaled A. Beydoun, American Islamophobia_ Understanding…, 150 (+1 more)
• corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim — Khaled A. Beydoun, American Islamophobia_ Understanding…, 63

Broader Connections

• Citizenship in America has historically been tied to whiteness and Christianity #corroborates (0.80)
• Whiteness was the legal prerequisite for US citizenship from 1790 to 1952 #corroborates (0.75) — Khaled A. Beydoun, American Islamophobia_ Understanding…, 178
• Whiteness by law was defined as Christian, excluding Muslims from citizenship #corroborates (0.60) — Khaled A. Beydoun, American Islamophobia_ Understanding…, 150
• Whiteness links beauty with citizenship and uncontested belonging. #expands (0.55)