nativism

/ˌneɪdəˈvɪzəm/

Other forms: nativisms

People who oppose immigration because they feel their culture will be lost or blended in with a new one can be said to believe in nativism.

There have been times in history that nativism allowed a culture to survive, particularly Native American Indian tribes. When the dominant group practices nativism, however, the result looks a lot like a hatred or fear of people who look different, speak a different language, and hold different beliefs than the majority of people.

Definitions of nativism

1. noun

   a policy of favoring native-born inhabitants of a country rather than immigrants
   type of:

   policy

   a line of argument rationalizing the course of action of a government
2. noun

   the policy of perpetuating native cultures (in opposition to acculturation)
   type of:

   social policy

   a policy of for dealing with social issues
3. noun

   (philosophy) the philosophical theory that some ideas are innate
   type of:

   philosophical doctrine, philosophical theory

   a doctrine accepted by adherents to a philosophy