AS THE UNITED STATES celebrates its 250th birthday this year, I am thinking about who is included in the “We the people” of the Constitution’s preamble. This is particularly urgent in light of the MAGA movement, the largest effort in over a generation to redefine who and what is truly American.
Since its inception our nation has been in a tug of war between those seeking to narrow “We the people” to primarily white men and those seeking to expand it to include every person. Sadly, white evangelical Christians remain more fearful and resistant to the nation’s changing demographics compared to all other religious groups, as recent surveys from both Pew and PRRI have shown. Rather than a source of hope and a glimpse of the kingdom to come, our increasing diversity has been used to build political power by stoking anxiety and prejudice.
Xenophobia and racism have been with us since the beginning. The U.S. was founded on the original sin of slavery and the displacement and genocide of Native Americans. An enslaved person counted as only three-fifths of a human being in the Constitution. Historically, various groups—including Catholics, and those of Irish, Italian, Chinese, or Mexican heritage, and many more—have been targeted with bigotry, violence, and official attempts to limit their legal rights due to their race, ethnicity, religion or more.
The Trump administration is working to end birthright citizenship.
President Donald Trump has persistently exploited many white Americans’ fears and grievances since his first campaign for office. Now, vitriolic rhetoric and policies from the highest levels of the U.S. government target immigrants—from Somalis and Haitians to anyone deemed to be from a “Third World” country—as well as U.S.-born people who are not white. The Trump administration is also working to end birthright citizenship, established and protected in the 14th Amendment of the Constitution.
The Trump administration’s recent National Security Strategy seeks to prevent Europe from losing its “civilizational self-confidence,” aligning U.S. foreign policy with the forces of racism and nativism and seemingly equating “European” with “white.” The suspension of new immigrant visas from 75 countries and the cruel halt of our refugee resettlement program is further evidence of the administration’s efforts to turn back the demographic clock.
The core Christian belief in imago dei, that we are made in the very image and likeness of God, provides us with a powerful antidote to the forces of racism, misogyny, xenophobia, and homophobia that undergird efforts to limit who is included in “We the people” and counted as truly American. Christians can more fully embrace imago dei and help advance a more inclusive definition of “We the people” by ensuring that every citizen can exercise the freedom to vote and by advocating for legislation such as the Dream Act. We can also fight for long-overdue comprehensive immigration reform that offers a sound pathway to citizenship. By giving more people access to determining the future of the country, we show that we believe every human bears the image of God.
Rev. Adam Russell Taylor is president of Sojourners and author of A More Perfect Union: A New Vision for Building the Beloved Community. Follow him on Bluesky @revadamtaylor.
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