You are on page 1of 2

Tanton Network Leaders in the Media:

TOP TEN

Roy Beck executive director and president of NumbersUSA Steven Camarota director of research for the Center for Immigration Studies Bob Dane press secretary/director of communications for the

Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) Peter Gadiel president of 9/11 Families for a Secure America Mike Hethmon general counsel of the Immigration Reform Law Institute Kris Kobach of counsel of the Immigration Reform Law Institute Mark Krikorian executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies Ira Mehlman media director of the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) Dan Stein president of the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) Jessica Vaughan director of policy studies for the Center for Immigration Studies

The Anti-Immigrant Movement in America


In 1979, a Michigan ophthalmologist named John Tanton founded the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR). Citing dubious conservation motives, but more often revealing his white nationalist sympathies, Tanton created the most influential anti-immigrant network in the country. Though lacking public renown, Tanton and FAIR have waged a campaign of impressive breadth and longevity, spawning over a dozen groups with the same goal: to malign the presence of immigrants in the United States. Early contributions from the notorious Pioneer Fund, reputed for its devotion to eugenics and scientific declarations of racism, helped Tantons once modest organization expand into a multi-million dollar network. Early ties to population control groups steeped this network in controversy from its inception.

TOP TEN

Most Active Anti-immigrant State Groups Listed on FAIRs website:

Californians for Population Stabilization - California chairman Marilyn DeYoung Dustin Inman Society - Georgia president D.A. King Grassroots Rally Team of Ohio - Ohio organizer Julie Aldrich Help Save Maryland - Maryland director Brad Botwin Immigration Reform Coalition of Texas - Texas - executive director Maria Martinez Immigration Reform for Oklahoma Now - Oklahoma - director Carol Helm NC Listen - North Carolina director Ron Woodard

New Jersey Citizens for Immigration Control New Jersey co-chair Gayle Kesselman

Oregonians for Immigration Reform - Oregon president Cynthia Kendoll Secure Arkansas - Arkansas founder/chairman Jeannie Burlsworth

Tanton created the most influential anti-immigrant network in the country.

The groups that he founded and funded, groups that owe their existence to his early efforts, now deny his ideology as part of their own. Yet they share sustained ties to extremist political elements like the white nationalist Council of Conservative Citizens and the compulsively nativist VDARE.com; with figures tied to movements as extreme as neo-Nazism, like Arizonas Russell Pearce; and with population control advocates like Virginia Abernethy, a self-proclaimed white separatist. The Tanton Network insists that it is not anti-immigrant; FAIR, the Center for Immigration Studies, NumbersUSA and remaining members increasingly position themselves as non-partisan and unbiased sources for reporters and academics. As students, activists, and journalists we have a responsibility to identify the bigotry endemic to the anti-immigrant movement, and to challenge its agenda in mainstream America.

MAJOR FUNDERS
of the Tanton Network:

The Colcom Foundation provided over $25 million dollars in funding to Tanton Network groups from 2008 through 2010. These organizations include Federation for American Immigration Reform, Californians for Population Stabilization, Immigration Reform Law Institute, Center for Immigration Studies, NumbersUSA, Progressives for Immigration Reform, VDARE, Negative Population Growth, and U.S., Inc. The connections go even deeper than million dollar grants. The Colcom Foundations vice president, John Rohe, worked for John Tanton at his foundation, U.S., Inc. And the late Cordelia Scaife May, who founded Colcom in 1996, was a close friend of John Tanton. In 2005, the year of her death, Scaife May left $404 million in cash and property to the Colcom Foundation and other charitable organizations. The Sarah Scaife Foundation and the Scaife Family Foundation provided over $1.3 million to Tanton Network groups from 2008 through 2010. These organizations include Center for Immigration Studies, NumbersUSA, ProEnglish and Federation for American Immigration Reform.

extensive ties to the larger white nationalist movement in the United States. In July 2011, Tantons name resurfaced on FAIRs advisory board, but his less vital role within the Network means little. Given the dedicated cadre within the Network, the primary agenda of nativism that both binds and drives the contemporary anti-immigrant movement More than thirty years later, in April will certainly survive and spread if of 2011, John Tanton vanished from left unchecked. the board of FAIR after a front page expos in a Sunday edition of The New York Times underscored his

47 West Division #514 Chicago. IL 60610 312.266.0319 www.newcomm.org

THE JOHN TANTON NETWORK


Founded by John Tanton in 1982. Tanton currently serves as the organizations chairman.

U.S., Inc.

Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR)


Founded by John Tanton in 1979. Tanton served on FAIRs board of directors until 2011. He is currently on FAIRs board of advisors.

Research and Education/Americans for Better Immigration Founded as a project of U.S., Inc. in 1996 and became an independent organization in 2002. Founder Roy Beck is the former Washington Editor of Tantons journal The Social Contract.

NumbersUSA

Founded by John Tanton in 1985 to serve as an independent research organization for the Network.

Center for Immigration Studies

Founded by John Tanton in 1990. Tanton is publisher of the Presss quarterly journal, The Social Contract.

Social Contract Press

Founded by John Tanton and FAIR leadership in 1989. IRLI, operating under the control of FAIR, works closely with lawmakers to draft anti-immigrant legislation.

Immigration Reform Law Institute (IRLI)

House Immigration Reform Caucus (HIRC)


Founded in 1999 by former Colorado Congressman Tom Tancredo. Current chairman Brian Bilbray is a former FAIR lobbyist and current co-chair of FAIRs board of advisors.

Founded in 2009, Progressives for Immigration Reform shares leadership with FAIR, including Frank Morris, a FAIR board member, and Richard Lamm, a FAIR advisor. Current executive director Leah Durant was an attorney with FAIRs legal arm, Immigration Reform Law Institute.

Progressives for Immigration Reform

Founded in 2007 by Pennsylvania State Rep. Daryl Metcalfe, State Legislators for Legal Immigration works closely with Immigration Reform Law Institute to draft state-level, anti-immigrant legislation.

State Legislators for Legal Immigration

Founded in 1972. Current NPG president Donald Mann serves on FAIRs national board of advisors. NPG also received funding from FAIR in 2000.

Negative Population Growth

Anti-immigrant blog founded in 1999 by white-nationalist Peter Brimelow, a former editor for Forbes and National Review. VDARE publishes articles from FAIR advisory board members Donald A. Collins and Joe Guzzardi, and has received funds from U.S., Inc.

VDARE Foundation

John Tanton is the founding chairman of ProEnglish, established in 1994. He currently serves on its board of directors.

ProEnglish

Founded by Peter Gadiel after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Gadiel served on FAIRs board from 2003 to 2005 and 9/11 Families for a Secure America has received funds from U.S., Inc.

9/11 Families for a Secure America US Immigration Reform PAC

Co-founded by John Tanton in 1982/83. He left the organization in 1988 after a racially charged memo he wrote was made public.

U.S. English

Co-founded in 1996 by Mary-Lou Tanton, John Tantons wife. She remains president of the organization, which endorses political campaigns for House Immigration Reform Caucus members.
47 West Division #514, Chicago. IL 60610 Copyright 2011, Center for New Community

LEGEND
Founded by John Tanton Has financial or leadership ties to FAIR or U.S., Inc. Founded as a project of FAIR or U.S., Inc.

You might also like