TantonWatch: An index of resources on the Tanton nativist network

The following is a compilation of resources describing the network of anti-immigration groups and individuals founded, funded, or otherwise nurtured by the late John Tanton, the racist architect of the contemporary American nativist movement. Much of the foundational research was done by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), but many others have contributed substantially to public knowledge about the network. This index is grouped into topic areas in the hope of easing access for all those interested in Tanton’s lasting influence. It is accompanied, separately, by a set of up-to-date, short profiles of the most important Tanton groups and their leaders.

JOHN TANTON

An early profile of Tanton from the SPLC:

https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/intelligence-report/2002/john-tanton-mastermind-behind-organized-anti-immigration-movement

Tanton’s private papers come to light in 2008, revealing racist ideas and ties:

https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/intelligence-report/2008/john-tanton’s-private-papers-expose-more-20-years-hate

The New York Times reprises the SPLC’s 2008 investigation:

https://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/17/us/17immig.html?_r=2&scp=1&sq=john%20tanton&st=cse

Tanton’s name scrubbed from FAIR site after New York Times story:

https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2011/04/27/after-nyt-article-john-tantons-name-disappears-fair-board-directors

Tanton’s Washington Post obituary:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/john-tanton-architect-of-anti-immigration-and-english-only-efforts-dies-at-85/2019/07/21/2301f728-aa3f-11e9-86dd-d7f0e60391e9_story.html

Tanton’s Detroit Free Press obituary:

https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2019/07/18/anti-immigrant-john-tanton-dies/1764377001/

Tanton’s Daily Beast obituary:

https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-dark-legacy-of-john-tanton-the-anti-immigration-white-nationalist-who-set-the-stage-for-trump

On Tanton’s legacy:

https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2019/07/18/john-tantons-legacy

SPLC Profile of Tanton:

https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/extremist-files/individual/john-tanton

NUMBERSUSA

New York Times profile of Roy Beck:

https://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/04/us/politics/roy-h-beck-quietly-leads-a-grass-roots-army.html

New York Times profile of NumbersUSA:

https://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/15/us/politics/15immig.html

FAKE ENVIRONMENTALISM & FRONT GROUPS

2010 white paper on Tanton network’s “greenwashing”:

https://www.splcenter.org/20100630/greenwash-nativists-environmentalism-and-hypocrisy-hate

Progressives for Immigration Reform:

https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2010/10/08/anti-immigrant-groups-continue-greenwashing-campaign

Sierra Club takeover attempt timeline:

https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/intelligence-report/2015/takeover-timeline

2004 documents related to Sierra Club takeover attempt:

https://www.splcenter.org/news/2004/01/14/dees-runs-sierra-club-board

Choose Black America:

https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/intelligence-report/2006/whats-behind-black-anti-immigration-group

FAIR front group publishes racist ads:

https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/intelligence-report/2008/fair-front-group-slams-migrants-traffic

RACIST DOCUMENTS FROM TANTON

Complete text of Tanton’s first 1986 WITAN memo:

https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/intelligence-report/2015/witan-memo-i

Complete text of Tanton’s second 1986 WITAN memo:

https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/intelligence-report/2015/witan-memo-ii

Complete text of Tanton’s third 1986 WITAN memo:

https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/intelligence-report/2015/witan-memo-iii

Tanton considered European-American “defense league”:

https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2011/01/19/tanton-files-more-fair-founder’s-white-nationalism

https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2010/06/10/fair-files-founder-proposed-‘european-american-defense’-group

Documents related to defense league proposal:

https://www.splcenter.org/sites/default/files/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/tanton_graham_030393.pdf

1995 letter about “Santeria and voodoo”:

https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/4523830-20080327071533OCR.html

1983 staffer’s memo detailing Tanton comments about black women:

https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/4523826-1983-03-06-MEMO-Tanton-s-Day.html

FEDERATION FOR AMERICAN IMMIGRATION REFORM (FAIR)

2007 story on FAIR:

https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/intelligence-report/2007/federation-american-immigration-reform’s-hate-filled-track-record

Quotes from FAIR leaders:

https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2008/09/19/fair-leaders-have-20-year-track-record-denigrating-immigrants

FAIR’s racist “Borderline” video production:

https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2010/05/17/fair-files-race-destiny-group’s-tv-show-asks

SPLC Profile of FAIR:

https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/extremist-files/group/federation-american-immigration-reform

SPLC Profile of FAIR president Dan Stein:

https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/extremist-files/individual/dan-stein

Stein defends Tanton:

https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2011/09/09/fair-chairman-sings-praises-racist-founder-john-tanton

Stein attacks multiculturalism:

https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2010/07/14/fair-files-attacks-multiculturalism-will-help

Profile of Frosty Woolridge, FAIR advisory board member:

https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2015/01/07/fair-advisory-board-member-bashes-muslims-…-again

Hispanic former FAIR official alleges racism at FAIR:

https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2018/08/30/former-press-secretary-anti-immigrant-hate-group-fair-alleges-he-was-discriminated-against

FAIR gave money to racist Arizona group:

https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2010/04/30/rachel-maddow-goes-steinin

FAIR official Julie Kirchner joins Trump administration:

https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2017/01/23/former-executive-director-anti-immigrant-hate-group-fair-joins-trump-administration

Kirchner resigns:

https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2019/10/31/trump-official-who-once-led-hate-group-resigns-ombudsman-role

FOUNDATIONS SUPPORTING THE TANTON NETWORK

The New York Times on Cordelia May Scaife:

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/14/us/anti-immigration-cordelia-scaife-may.html

Scaife’s Colcom Foundation and the Tanton network:

https://old.post-gazette.com/pg/09182/980929-482.stm

Broad look at right-wing foundations, many of which support the Tanton network:

https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/intelligence-report/2003/mainstream?page=0%2C1#10

THE TANTON NETWORK

2009 SPLC white paper on the Tanton network:

https://www.splcenter.org/20090131/nativist-lobby-three-faces-intolerance

Right Wing Watch report on anti-immigrant lobby:

https://files.rightwingwatch.org/uploads/RWW-Final-Immigration-Report.pdf

Georgetown University’s Bridge Project fact sheets on Tanton network:

https://bridge.georgetown.edu/research-publications/factsheets/

2013 Splinter News story on the Tanton network:

https://splinternews.com/the-eugenicist-doctor-and-the-vast-fortune-behind-trump-1827322435

Western States Center report on Tanton network:

https://plotagainstimmigrants.com

List of Tanton-funded or -founded groups:

https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/intelligence-report/2015/john-tantons-network

U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Alabama) and the Tanton groups:

https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2016/11/18/jeff-sessions-champion-anti-muslim-and-anti-immigrant-extremists

Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg criticizes Tanton groups:

https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2014/02/05/facebook-founder-mark-zuckerberg-attacks-tanton-anti-immigrant-network’s-‘shocking

Tanton groups criticized by conservatives:

https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/intelligence-report/2013/long-attacked-left-nativist-groups-come-under-fire-right

Pro-immigrant activist discusses the Tanton network:

https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/intelligence-report/2002/immigration-rights-leader-rick-swartz-discusses-his-battles-against-anti-immigrant-movement

CENTER FOR IMMIGRATION STUDIES (CIS)

Washington Post profile of Mark Krikorian:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/mark-krikorian-the-provocateur-standing-in-the-way-of-immigration-reform/2013/06/17/dff0bd52-d75e-11e2-a9f2-42ee3912ae0e_story.html

SPLC Profile of CIS:

https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/extremist-files/group/center-immigration-studies

Krikorian and the history of blaming immigrants for disease:

https://rantt.com/coronavirus-triggers-anti-asian-racism

CIS, other Tanton groups, blame immigrants for disease :

https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2020/04/21/anti-immigrant-movement-has-history-politicizing-disease

CIS official joins Trump administration:

https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2017/01/27/report-another-anti-immigrant-extremist-join-trump-administration

Trump official speaks to CIS:

https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2019/09/26/trump-official-ken-cuccinelli-speaks-anti-immigrant-hate-group

SPLC Profile of The Social Contract Press:

https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/extremist-files/group/social-contract-press

SPLC Profile of Wayne Lutton, Social Contract editor:

https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/extremist-files/individual/wayne-lutton

SPLC Profile of Social Contract writer Samuel Francis:

https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/extremist-files/individual/sam-francis

Social Contract publishes Ann Coulter, Pam Geller:

https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2011/02/10/new-leaders-tanton’s-nativist-network-not-new-tolerance

Kevin DeAnna, others, revealed as Social Contract writers:

https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2020/03/04/emails-reveal-identity-longtime-white-nationalist-propagandist-onetime-conservative-insider

Social Contract publishes last edition:

https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2020/04/23/social-contract-publishes-its-last-tract

EUGENICS & THE TANTON NETWORK

Center for New Community report on Tanton, eugenics and nativism:

https://web.archive.org/web/20181022002910/http://imagine2050.newcomm.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Quinacrine-Report.pdf

The Anti-Defamation League on Tanton’s ties to eugenics:

https://www.adl.org/news/article/ties-between-anti-immigrant-movement-and-eugenics

SPLC profile of eugenicist Pioneer Fund that Tanton interacted with:

https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/extremist-files/group/pioneer-fund

SPLC profile of longtime FAIR board member Garrett Hardin:

https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/extremist-files/individual/garrett-hardin

TANTON-LINKED GROUPS & INDIVIDUALS

The following articles describe groups and individuals who have been linked to Tanton and his network through ties of friendship, funding or other links that reflect ideological affinity.

SPLC profile of Jared Taylor of American Renaissance:

https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/extremist-files/individual/jared-taylor

SPLC profile of Peter Brimelow of VDARE:

https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/extremist-files/individual/peter-brimelow

Tanton’s relationship to Brimelow:

https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/intelligence-report/2015/courting-conservatives

Brimelow on immigration:

https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/intelligence-report/2003/paleoconservatives-decry-immigration

New York Times profile of Stephen Miller

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/14/us/politics/immigration-trump.html?searchResultPosition=4

Leaked emails evidence Miller’s racism:

https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2019/11/12/stephen-millers-affinity-white-nationalism-revealed-leaked-emails#exploringties