The 'Ethical' Surplus of the War on Illegal Immigration

24 Pages Posted: 20 Apr 2012

See all articles by Leticia M. Saucedo

Leticia M. Saucedo

University of California, Davis - School of Law

Francis Joseph Mootz III

University of the Pacific - McGeorge School of Law

Date Written: April 19, 2012

Abstract

The Aristotelian philosopher, Gene Garver, suggests that rhetorical claims have an "ethical surplus" that extends beyond the specific claim being advanced at the moment. This follows from the fact that rhetoric includes not only logos, but also pathos and ethos. We adopt the thesis of "ethical surplus," but in a negative context. The "war on illegal immigration" has generated an ethical surplus that leads its promoters beyond the specific claim of securing borders against unlawful entry. After demonstrating that there is an express rhetoric of "war" used in connection with Arizona's adoption of recent anti-immigrant legislation, we explore the implication of this rhetoric in the more recent effort to eliminate race-conscious education programs focused on Mexican Americans in the public schools of Tucson. We conclude that the war on illegal immigration has generated its ethical surplus in a manner that betrays the true character of this war. It is not a war against undocumented border crossing; rather, it is a war against the perceived threat posed by Mexicans living in the United States. As the ethical surplus of the anti-immigrant hyperbole becomes manifest, it reveals clearly the immoral and discriminatory nature of the rhetoric at work.

Keywords: Immigration, Aristotle, Eugene Garver, Ethical Surplus, Ethos, ethnic studies, SB1070, HB2281, Tom Horne, War

Suggested Citation

Saucedo, Leticia M. and Mootz, Francis Joseph, The 'Ethical' Surplus of the War on Illegal Immigration (April 19, 2012). Iowa Journal on Gender, Race and Justice, 2012, Forthcoming, UC Davis Legal Studies Research Paper No. 291, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2042688

Leticia M. Saucedo (Contact Author)

University of California, Davis - School of Law ( email )

Martin Luther King, Jr. Hall
Davis, CA CA 95616-5201
United States

Francis Joseph Mootz

University of the Pacific - McGeorge School of Law ( email )

3200 Fifth Avenue
Sacramento, CA 95817
United States

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