The ‘Great Replacement’ Theory, Explained

In mid-September 2021, the U.S. media turned its attention to an increasing number of Haitian migrants seeking protection at the border in Del Rio, Texas. While most of the arriving migrants were either turned back into Mexico or deported to destitute conditions in Haiti, some Haitian families were allowed to stay in the U.S. and pursue asylum claims in immigration court.

In political terms this policy is called the ‘great replacement,’ the replacement of legacy Americans with more obedient people from faraway countries.” Carlson concluded that President Biden’s policies with regard to the Haitian migrants have put the U.S. on a “suicidal” path. Since Carlson’s comments, numerous public figures on the far right have echoed or supported this “great replacement” theory — which has also been called “white replacement theory” or simply “replacement theory” — and it has started to gain broader attention. On Sept. 29, Axios summarized the situation: “A racist conspiracy theory goes mainstream.” Several more moderate conservatives have criticized the theory for being anti-American and for its roots in white supremacy, including former President George W. Bush and former Reagan administration official Linda Chavez. But what exactly is the “great replacement” theory? Where did it come from and how is it being used today? What are the implications of its growing popularity?

What is the ‘Great Replacement’ Theory? The “great replacement” theory, in simple terms, states that welcoming immigration policies — particularly those impacting nonwhite immigrants — are part of a plot designed to undermine or “replace” the political power and culture of white people living in Western countries. Multiple iterations of the “great replacement” theory have been and continue to be used by anti- immigrant groups, white supremacists, and others. Prominent iterations include: Rhetoric of invasion: The theory often uses martial and violent rhetoric of a migrant “invasion” that must be stopped before it “conquers” “white America.” Voter replacement: The theory also sometimes incorporates the inaccurate assumption that nonwhite immigrants will vote a certain way, and therefore pro-immigration policies are designed by elites to diminish the political influence of white Americans. 1 Antisemitism: In still other iterations, the theory can be found embedded in a web of other xenophobic conspiracies, including antisemitic notions that Jewish elites are responsible for the “replacement” plot.